Jennifer Craw and the Curse of the Monkey's Paw 18
by jcwriter
Summary: A mummified paw from Solomon's mines brings only bad luck to anyone who touches it. Or is there something more sinister than a simple curse involved in these mysterious deaths? When misfortune spreads to Hogwarts, Severus has no choice but to find out...
1. Summer Surprises

_A/N Welcome to the fourth book in the Heritage Series, and the Eighteenth novel in the Jennifer Craw series. If you're new, series one starts with Jennifer Craw and the Phoenix Wand, although you're free to take a look at this one, of course, although you probably might get a bit lost since being over thirty years later than the original stories, it's mostly original characters, and the cannons have had some attitude changes thanks to mishaps in the storyline. The novels in general focus more on OC's living in the Rowlings world rather than the main characters, with some notable exceptions._

_For those returning, welcome back! You should find this is a bit faster paced book involving a murder mystery, with a helping of character development as in the rest of my books. Severus has to Sort a granddaughter AND a brother-in-law this year, not to mention break in a new DADA professor. This is also the book where Jennifer really starts to see for the first time how slowed aging can be a double-edged sword, and Toby gets more in touch with his human side. And just what is with the kid in the water? Well, you'll see what I mean. Hope you like the book!_

_Update notes! Books 4,5,6,7 all got some major TLC on this site, cleaned up some of the Quidditch matches as well as Severus' chat with Sirius in the kitchen cooler. Fixed typos in books 2, 8, and a few in 9, although still working on that one._

* * *

Jennifer Craw and the Curse of the Monkey's Paw

Chapter One

Summer Surprises

For over a hundred years, there was only darkness. It had been abandoned and undisturbed until three days before, when an experimental tap-tap-tapping had broken the silence of decades… a sign that perhaps after so many years, the end of their wait to be rescued from their horrible entrapment was near.

Suddenly, a pinpoint of light seared through the cavern, and an instant later the wall began to crumble into fist-sized rocks from the force of the mining drill. As the rocks begin roll into the carts, the three wizards standing there began to cough. They held the silks over their mouths tighter until one of them twisted his wand about, calling up a waft of sweet air that drifted in from behind them.

"So? Is it another shaft?" asked a wizard with a thick Middle Eastern accent.

"Give me a minute," said a short, gruff-looking wizard, still pressing the scarf against his face as he lifted the lantern up to see inside. He became startled, jerking the light away involuntarily. Recovering, he raised the lamp more slowly this time to inspect the mangled corpses lying near a different wall. They were different positions as if they had died from intense pain; all except one skeleton leaning in a corner.

"Get Sam down here, I want this entire room searched for hexes and curses," the gruff wizard foreman said as he began murmuring a set of spells to check for more conventional types of booby traps. Before long, another wizard with a leather duster appeared and began casting spells of his own.

"Eh? What's this?" said Sam, squinting in surprise, and the foreman looked around to see the faint glow of something under one of the skeletons. "Something magic over there, Mr. Silverman."

"Oh?" the foreman squinted, readying his wand. "Well, go ahead over, the floor is safe. I'll cover you."

Cautiously, Sam crept over to the skeletons and carefully levitated the one he had seen the glow under. As he gently tried moving the skeleton aside, he realized the object was strapped around the skeleton's shoulder.

"It's a satchel," he said, and one of the other wizards raised a lantern so they could all see inside better. "Charmed obviously, and more than likely a great deal bigger on the inside than outside."

"Grave robbers," Silverman grunted. "Well ease it off, Sam, we'll take it back to camp."

"There's another pouch here in the dirt, must'a been on his belt…" Sam said, pausing to pick up the fist-sized pouch. "Odd…" he murmured as he felt it, for the contents felt quite strange and made the pouch bulge in a curious shape. He murmured a spell to identify curses before carefully unlacing the pouch to see what was inside. Bewildered at its contents, Sam pulled out a mummified monkey's paw covered with a thick layer of dust.

"I told you to wait until we got back to camp!" Silverman barked. "There's no telling what any of that stuff does! Who knows, something they brought with them might be what killed them! After all, if they were wizards, they should'a managed to get out of a cave-in."

"I checked it beforehand, Silverman, I know what I'm doing," Sam said with a sigh, but put the monkey paw away. As he gathered pouch and the satchel and followed the others out, he couldn't shake the strong sense of foreboding that came over him.

* * *

Far away on the other side of the world, Dale Chance was making the most out of his short summer holiday, wasting no time that morning getting out on his private beach with his house guests. His mother and father had invited some of his cousins, his band members, and some of their business associates' kids for an afternoon barbecue, so it was likely to be a busy and fun-filled day. At that moment, however, Dale was relaxing and working on his tan. He had just turned onto his front, and was watching a volleyball game going on with extreme interest.

"Hey, bronze boy! Isn't this taking Ravenclaw colors a bit too far? Or are you just going for skin cancer?" said a taunting voice behind him. Dale leaned over long enough to see it was his best friend Bobby March.

"Sunshine is good for you in moderation, haven't you heard? And from the looks of it, you could use some," Dale said, holding up some lotion. "Anyway, it's about time you got here. Everyone else showed up last night, you know."

"Yeah, but my mother wanted us to do the family thing before letting us come," Bobby snorted, the looked around. "This is great, though! Do you know all these girls?"

"Most of them," Dale nodded.

"Good, then you can introduce me," Bobby said. Dale shook his head at his best friend.

"What about Lindsay?" Dale asked.

"Well, she won't know if you don't tell her, and it's only for a couple weeks, right? Besides, I hear American girls go nuts over British accents," Bobby said cheerfully, scoping the beach eagerly before following Dale's gaze over towards the volleyball net.

"Wow, who's that over there with the black hair and red shorts bikini? She is stacked!" Bobby said appreciatively, watching as the girl jumped up to slam the ball back over the net.

"Hey!" Dale protested with a laugh. "That one's mine!"

"Oh, now, that's typical! Just because you're some hotshot singer now you think you can just claim the hottest girl on the beach? Not every girl is going to fall at your feet just because you've made a name for yourself, you know…"

"Okay, okay, fine, then I'll make you a deal," Dale said with a sly smile. "You go over there and try to make an impression, and if she decides she likes your moves better than mine, then go for it."

"And you won't tell Lindsay," Bobby added.

"I would never tell on you," Dale assured him.

"All right, it's a deal," Bobby said with a grin, getting back up. "Just watch, maybe you'll learn something."

"I'm watching," Dale said with a smile. Bobby walked over confidently, looking back at Dale when he was almost there, getting a 'thumbs up' from Dale.

"I'm back!" Ambrose said cheerfully as he came up from behind Dale and set down a nylon cooler. "Your mum sent me back with some drinks for you guys, too. Wow, Lucky looks good out there, doesn't she?"

"You have no idea," Dale said with a slight chuckle and a wide grin.

Ambrose frowned in confusion as he turned back to watch the game, but it had paused as Bobby walked over there and Lucky suddenly turned around and planted her fist across his jaw. Dale fell backwards in a fit of laughter that was so loud that he attracted attention at the volleyball court.

"'Ey, what's so funny? Did you put him up to that?" Lucky demanded as she walked over.

"He didn't realize it was you, Lucky," Dale said, quickly trying to pull himself together, but couldn't help but couldn't keep himself from chuckling.

"That's no excuse! I oughtta tell Lindsay!" Lucky snorted.

"I'm sorry, Lucky!" Bobby said as he followed behind her, still with a hand against his jaw. "Really, if I knew it was you it wouldn't have happened. Honestly, Dale, you should've warned me!"

"Sorry, Bobby. Anyone want a water or something?" Dale asked diplomatically, holding one up.

"Thanks," Lucky said, taking one. "I'm going back to the game. We were winning before he came along," Lucky said irritably, turning back around. Both Dale and Bobby stared as she walked back over until Dale noticed Bobby looking at her and tripped him, making him fall into the sand.

"Stop that!" Dale laughed at him.

"What happened?" Bobby asked. "I mean, I thought she was wearing all those baggy jumpers and uniforms to hide all that baby fat she used to have. When did she get so hot?"

"Wrong person to ask, I think. I've always thought she was hot," Dale said evenly.

"She looks the same to me," Ambrose shrugged.

"Give it a couple years," Bobby said to Ambrose.

"Hey, guys!" Gary ran up through the sand and dropped on down on the blanket, ignoring the protests as he brought half the beach with him for the ride. "Hi, Dale. Hey, Ambrose, is it true what they've been saying in the gossip column? Is Toby the Tinker really your real father?"

"He sure is!" Ambrose said proudly.

"Careful, Ambrose," Dale warned.

"It's all right, Dale. Professor Snape said I could tell them he was my father if I wanted to," Ambrose said. "Toby and my mother went off to sort things out, and that's why I'm spending most the summer at my godfather's house this year."

"It surprises me that with all that business about you disappearing last year that Snape even let you come down here to visit," Bobby said.

"Nah, he's not worried. He knows Lucky and I can take care of ourselves," Ambrose declared.

* * *

Severus Snape opened his watch for the fifth time that day, glancing at the two names marked "Elsewhere" before snapping it shut and putting it away. It was a glorious sunny day at sea, so much so that he had put on an extra dose of sunshield potion to make doubly sure that he didn't end up with a tan.

As usual on these types of ventures, Severus opted to stay well out of the way, preferring instead to occupy himself with quieter activities. In fact, in some ways he would have preferred to spend his two weeks off locked in the library or basement of his house and reading as he was doing now on the deck of their boat, slowly combing through the tome in front of him having to decipher some of the runes as he went.

It was the fact that no one could easily contact them that was singularly appealing; only the family knew how to get in touch with them in an emergency. That solitude more than any other reason was his reason to acquire _The Wizard's Temptation_ for Jennifer for their wedding anniversary, and she along with the three Merrow crew were more than happy to take care of the business of actually piloting the boat without his interference.

It wasn't long after he had gotten back into his work that he noticed a change in movement and realized that he didn't hear the hum of the engines. He glanced around then to see one of the Merrows, glancing at the flower in the elf's red cap to discern which one it was.

"Where are we, Kelpie?" he asked.

"In exact coordinates, sir?" she asked.

"Just a round about general area and direction will suffice," Severus said.

"We're still in the Celtic Sea, sir, heading south-southeast at the moment and we're due west of the Channel," she said.

"Oh. So why have we stopped?" he asked.

"The winds have changed, sir, so the captain has asked we switch to sails," Kelpie explained. "It won't take long, sir."

"And did the captain finally decide where it is exactly where we are going?" Severus inquired.

"I believe so, sir. She said something about being hungry, then she had Capper plot a course around the coast of Portugal, sir," Kelpie said. Severus rolled his eyes.

"Thank you, Kelpie," Severus sighed and put his book down for a moment. His chain went cold for a brief instant and his hand went to the back of the neck thoughtfully, but the moment he began looking around to spot the source, the chain was back to normal temperature again.

"Odd," Severus murmured, peering aft to see Kelpie messing with the lines. Shrugging it off, Severus stepped down into the salon, and over at the short steps leading up to the wheelhouse where Jennifer and one of the other Merrows was busy looking over a map.

She was dressed in an outfit that Ashley had given her before she left; an ivory cotton shirt and ivory leggings, gathered at the wrists and ankles in a way that made it look a bit puffy. But for once Jennifer didn't seem to mind it (she had always avoided leggings whenever possible,) having admitted to him that it was much more practical on a boat. Her hair was done up in a high tail and along with the flats, it reminded Severus of something of a more Arabic origin and less of a sailing outfit.

"Jennifer? Are we heading to the Mediterranean?" Severus asked.

"Yes, oh, how did you guess already?" Jennifer said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Just came to me," Severus said expressionlessly. "Certain we cannot just stay around here?"

"We're in the middle of nowhere, Severus," Jennifer chuckled.

"I meant near Britain, Jennifer. We can always pop off to Greece or France for an evening if you'd like, and I do only have two weeks, you know," Severus said.

"Now, don't worry about that, Severus, we should be back with a day or two to spare. Even if Capper and I did time it wrong, it isn't as if you can't just pop back. The Merrows can perfectly well handle the boat on their own and can manage it long enough for me to pick up Lucky and Ambrose, we do have those extra berths after all," she said slyly, Severus squinting at her. "Besides, you did say I could go anywhere I want."

"So I did," Severus said thoughtfully. "But if you decide to go to the moon, I would like a few hours notice first."

"I don't think there's water on the moon, Severus, or I might try it," Jennifer said teasingly. "Are you about ready for lunch?"

"As long as it doesn't involve fish."

"No, that's not until dinner, Severus," Jennifer said. "Kipper is out on deck fishing that up. It wouldn't hurt for you to put out a line either, you know."

"I believe you've heard them all by now," Severus mused.

"Oh, I see how it is," Jennifer chuckled, stepping down. "Then go back to your book if you like. I'll be out in a minute or two with some drinks and sandwiches."

"Very well, since I seem to be in the way," Severus said.

"No more than usual," Jennifer said flippantly. "Really, Severus, you didn't think I would take that sort of bait, did you?"

"Just practicing my fishing skills," Severus said before stepping outside again.

It was just then he heard the sound of a splash. He wondered about it for a moment before deciding it was probably one of the Merrows taking advantage of the temporary lull to take a swim, but he noticed that the deck around his chair was quite soaked. In fact, even the book he was reading seemed damp.

Frowning at his carelessness for leaving it out on the deck at all, Severus quickly dried it with his sleeve, opening it to make sure that none of the water had seeped into the pages. But as he inspected it, he saw a slightly darkened edge and flipped over to it, staring at the odd water impression on the book. It was anything but random; for the two damp marks were on slightly different heights of the page but were unmistakably human thumbprints as if someone wet had opened the book to look at it.

Suddenly remembering both the splash and the sensation in his chain, Severus stuffed his book in his cloak and went over to the side and uncuffed his wand.

"All right, you may as well come out, I know you're there," Severus said firmly, his eyes scanning the surface of the water. "_Monstre hostis!"_ he cast, but then frowned when the Reveal Enemy spell did nothing at all. Surely if they had gone underwater they wouldn't have been down that long without coming up for air, unless they used a potion, he mused, then surveyed the horizon. But where could they have come from? There wasn't a boat to be seen anywhere in any direction.

A bit less certain, Severus sighed and glanced down into the water again, this time not really expecting to see anything. So convinced, in fact, that he was quite startled to see he saw a boy's face gazing up at him under the surface, and dropped his wand in surprise.

Immediately the boy reacted, spotting the wooden object and grabbing it while it was still bobbing on the surface and then finally surfacing himself. He was a young boy of about nine or ten, but his hair was a curious charcoal grey in color. His soulful eyes were a mix of green and blue and his pale face and shoulders were covering with a multitude of freckles. The most amazing part of it was how unquestionably human he was despite the odd color of his hair.

The boy quickly swam up to the side of the boat, pausing only long enough to admire the animals carved into the wand before climbing a couple steps up the ladder so he could reach, and then turned the wand over so he was handing Severus the correct end of the wand.

"I'm sorry I startled you," the boy said. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble. You won't tell on me?"

"I can hardly tell on you if I don't know who you are," Severus pointed out. "Although I'd very much like to know the answer to that. Where is your boat?"

"You're a wizard, aren't you?" the boy asked. "My parents were too. I thought you might be when I noticed the Merrows. Most people think they're unlucky, you know, but I rather like them, don't you?"

"Well, yes, obviously… what are you doing out here again?" Severus asked.

"Actually, I'm supposed to be working," the boy admitted. "And really, I'd better be getting back to it before I get into trouble. It was nice meeting you!" he added, and before Severus could think up some way to detain him had gone underwater, his pale feet kicking up momentarily as he dove deeper while Severus leaned far over the edge in a futile attempt to figure out where he went.

"If you keep leaning over the rail like that, Severus, you're bound to fall in," Jennifer said, loud enough that he nearly did just that as she came out with a tray with drinks and sandwiches.

"Don't raise the sails just yet, Jennifer," Severus said in a tone that made Jennifer gaze at him curiously. "I just saw a boy in the water."

"A boy?" Jennifer said, blinking. "Out here? Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm… now, don't look at me like that, Jennifer, I know it sounds a bit fantastic, but I did see a boy just now in the water," Severus said firmly and looking at her dead on.

"And you didn't save him?" Jennifer frowned searchingly.

"He didn't seem to need any saving," Severus said, frowning and staring over the side again. "He simply seemed… well, a bit curious, actually."

"Perhaps it was a merman?" Jennifer offered.

"No… no, he looked quite human, feet and all," Severus said.

"Perhaps a Fomorian then?" Jennifer ventured.

"A Fomorian?" Severus repeated, considering it. "Well, he did seem home in the water, and his hair was a strange color… no, I don't think that fits either. He spoke perfect English, although he did have a touch of an Irish accent."

"Strange color?" Jennifer asked.

"Yes, his hair was grey… perhaps it was black once, and bleached by the sun, but still curious," Severus said.

"Yes, very curious," Jennifer said, sounding distant.

"He also said something about his parents being wizards… or were wizards… past tense… I don't suppose he'd be out here on his own? Surely there is some logical explanation for all of this," Severus said.

"Logic can't explain everything, Severus," Jennifer smiled at him.

"You don't believe me, do you?" Severus frowned.

"I believe you, Severus. Do you want me to send the Merrows to see if they can find him? We're in a bit of deep water right now and I'm not sure if we can drop anchor, but we can circle about if you like," Jennifer ventured.

"Really? That deep?" Severus murmured, even more puzzled than before.

"Yes, but don't worry, once we start sailing again, I'm going to make for the bay and follow closer to the coastline, I've no intentions of going too far out. I wonder how it is that he got all the way out here?" Jennifer pondered. "I don't see any boats. None at all!"

"That is a mystery," Severus murmured. "Either that, or I really have had too much sun. Why don't you go ahead and let them set sail, Jennifer? I think I'd rather eat inside."

"All right, Severus," Jennifer said unconcernedly, but what she was thinking she didn't hint to him as they gathered their things and went inside and the Merrows unfurled the sails.


	2. Ambrose gets Settled

Chapter Two

Ambrose Gets Settled

The moment the door was open, Lucky and Ambrose piled in, and Lucky announced her presence with a general shout through the house before the two of them went into the front room.

"Nobody's home," Jennifer said as walked in after them. She and Severus paused to set down their luggage in the hall.

"It's still early. Benjamin is probably still at work and the children at their nanny's house," Severus pointed out, glancing at his watch.

"Yes, you're probably right," Jennifer agreed. "Anyone hungry?"

"I'm stuffed," Lucky said.

"I'm starving!" Ambrose said emphatically, watching as Jennifer wandered towards the kitchen. Then he noticed Severus staring at them both with a disapproving frown, for they had already made themselves at home in front of the television set.

"If you think the two of you are going to spend the entire summer in front of that thing, you have another thing coming," Severus scowled at them.

"Now, Severus, really! They just got home, at least let them rest a while!" Jennifer protested from the kitchen.

"Fine, but they're responsible for putting their own things away. Mercy, don't let any of the other House Elves touch those suitcases," Severus said firmly, sorting through them and pulling one out for himself to unpack. "Fortuna, show Ambrose up to Alicia's room when you're finished 'resting.'"

"Wait, isn't that where Minerva is?" Lucky asked.

"Didn't I tell you?" Ambrose said. "Minerva is watching the shop for my Mum this summer, so she rented some rooms in Hogsmeade. Gosh, I hope things are going to work out for my parents!" he added wistfully.

"Yeah, me too," Lucky said with a nod.

"I don't suppose there's any post for me?" Ambrose asked, getting up and going to the kitchen to see that Jennifer was indeed attempting to sort through it. "Any post from my Mum, Aunt Jennifer?"

"I imagine so!" Jennifer said, flipping through them until she found it. "Here you are, Ambrose."

"Thank you!" Ambrose beamed at her before going back over to Lucky, who seemed more interested in showing him upstairs now.

"Severus, one for you as well," Jennifer said when he came out of the bedroom.

"You may as well hand me the stack, Jennifer," Severus said. "I'll go through it in the library."

"Sneaking off already?" Jennifer teased, sorting her own post out of the pile.

"Only until supper. Afterwards, I'll be in the lab. I'm sure Rasputin will have a complaint or two waiting for me when I get down there," Severus said.

"So would Descartes, if you understood Stymphalian," she teased, handing him his stack before turning her attention to the kitchen.

Upstairs, Ambrose was delighted to find his room had already been arranged with many of his things from home already there waiting for him, including the tapestry he had made for his Owl goal, hanging on the inner wall.

"Look, Lucky! It's almost like my own room at home!" Ambrose said with appreciation, beaming at the Merlin standing on the tower in the picture. "Hullo, Father! We're back from California!"

"So I see," the Merlin in the tapestry said with a thin-threaded smile. "Don't forget to write and let me know."

"Don't worry, I'm going to. I'm going to see what Mum says first," Ambrose said, opening the letter.

"So where did they end up?" Lucky asked, pulling a laundry bag out of the closet and setting it on the suitcase for him.

"She says they've spent most of the time up until now in New York taking care of things," Ambrose said. "What sort of 'things' can they take care of in New York that they can't take care of here?"

"You can get anything in New York," Lucky shrugged. "Long as you got the money for it."

"I doubt they went to New York to go shopping," Ambrose said.

Just then, the top of Ambrose's trunk suddenly flipped wide open and a speckled rabbit came darting out of it and scurrying down the hall.

"Must be lunch time," Lucky smirked. Ambrose grinned in response, quickly stuffing a stack of clothes in one of the drawers before the two of them went downstairs.

By the time they caught up with Houdini, he had already found the carrot that Jennifer had left out and was nibbling on it contently. Jennifer gazed in amusement at the two children that had followed behind him.

"That's a pretty effective dinner bell you have, Aunt Jennifer," Ambrose commented.

"Well, it's not as effective as our dinner whistle," Jennifer chuckled. "But I'll save that for actual dinner tonight." Lucky gave her a blank look. "But this trick even works for calling napping Professors to meals," she added wickedly, rummaging in a small ice chest on the floor and pulling out a mackerel they had gotten on their trip.

It only took a second or two before a stringent excited cawing noise could be heard throughout the house, growing decidedly louder to the point that Lucky and Ambrose both held their ears. Jennifer quickly put the fish away and tried to get the top back on before Severus appeared with the eager Stymphalian clutching the heavy mesh glove that went all the way up Severus' arm.

"Were you taunting my familiar's senses just now?" Severus asked after spying the chest in the corner of the kitchen and the smug look on Jennifer's face.

"Who, me, Severus?" Jennifer asked innocently, batting at Lucky, who was snickering loudly. "I might have accidentally jarred the lid just now on my way to call you to lunch."

"For a fib like that, I should make you feed him," Severus said curtly, giving the bird the fish on top, which Descartes happily swallowed whole. "Lucky, would you carry the chest down to the basement, please? I can't manage them both, and I'd rather he not be up here while we eat."

"Does he beg at the table?" Ambrose asked with a grin.

"Ya, puppy dog eyes and all," Lucky said as she got up. Severus allowed her to go first, the anxious bird watching the ice chest quite steadily all the way down to the basement.

By the time they came back up the table was already set and Ambrose was digging in, Lucky quickly followed suit while Severus paused to wash his hands and sort out the latest copy of the _Daily Prophet._

"Really, Severus, must you read at the table? This isn't breakfast, you know," Jennifer said.

"And typically lunch around here involves scarfing sandwiches out of the icebox," Severus retorted. "If you don't mind, I would like to get some idea of what's happened while we've been gone. Perhaps the Conservatives have finally coughed up a candidate for next year's election."

"I highly doubt it, not this early," Jennifer said, sitting down. "Have you gathered all the laundry, Lucky?"

"Workin' on it," Lucky said unconcernedly.

"Yes, and afterwards you can take a bath."

"What!"

"I don't want you dragging sand all over the house, and I certainly you don't want that getting in your room. That isn't fair to Mercy and the other House Elves; they are going to have enough to deal with as it is. You can use Alex and Ben's bathroom, that way Ambrose can have yours," Jennifer said.

"Wow, how many bathrooms does this house have? I thought you only had two," Ambrose said.

"Three and a half, which at certain times doesn't seem to be enough," Jennifer said with a chuckle.

"Your house must be nearly as big as the Black's Mansion, then!" Ambrose said. "You wouldn't know it from the outside, but then you do have all those bedrooms, don't you? Are you ever going to do anything with them all?"

"Oh, you mean Aurelius and Andrew's?" Jennifer asked thoughtfully. "You know, I have been thinking about that a lot lately, actually. They do sometimes crash here, but I was thinking that it was high time they officially moved out and have them use the guest room if they need it. Then I can convert one of the bedrooms into a room for Rus and Janus, since Janus is getting old enough for a bed, that way Alex and Ben can have a proper sitting room back. I'll probably put them into Andrew's old room. It's a little bigger, and that way I can keep them in the same room and leave the other bedroom open just in case."

Lucky and Severus both stared at her.

"Just in case?" Severus asked warily.

"Not that I'm free to discuss it, not for another day and a half. You did say you would be willing to discuss it in a year, Severus? Or were you hoping that I'd forget?" Jennifer said knowingly.

"This here is rather interesting," Severus said, turning his attention quickly back to the paper.

"What? Essie's weather prediction?" Jennifer taunted him.

"Not that the weather isn't interesting," Severus parried, "but no, I was referring to this one, for it refers to your father's mines."

"What?" Jennifer frowned, immediately turning serious.

"Apparently his cursed items expert died… Samuel Geffard," Severus said, who was becoming interested as well.

"Sounds familiar, I believe my father's mentioned him before," Jennifer murmured. "He said he had a real nose for magic items and helped to recover a few caches of them over the years while they've been digging."

"Yes, only now it seems that one may have gotten the better of him," Severus said. "It says that he 'suddenly took ill' after returning to Britain to turn over a large cache of miscellaneous artifacts on behalf of the Craw Mining Company to the government, and died the next day at St. Mungo's, who were not able to determine the exact cause of death."

"That is quite odd!" Jennifer said. "Although to be fair, it's hardly the first time anyone's died suddenly after opening an old crypt, Severus. There are certain toxins that linger within such places that can make someone quite sick indeed if they breathe them in."

"We are talking about someone who obviously knew what they were doing, Jennifer," Severus said. "Perhaps it was just one of those things. Either way, it sounds like it's in the hands of the Artifacts Department now."

"In which case, nobody may ever know the cause," Jennifer admitted.

"Now, Jennifer, you can at least give Minister Coffers the benefit of the doubt. After all, you are only saying that because they have never done it before," Severus said expressionlessly. "That does seem to be all in the paper, however. Nothing about the election next year."

"I told you it was much too soon for that, Severus," Jennifer sighed. "Lucky, are you finished? Goodness, you ate fast. Why don't you run on up then?"

"Ambrose, before you go up, would you mind helping me in the lab for a few minutes?" Severus asked, folding up the paper.

"Sure!" Ambrose said curiously, despite the fact that it was obvious that it would involve more talking than work.

"Better him than me," Lucky said, quickly gathering her own plate and putting it in the kitchen before disappearing up the stairs. Jennifer shook her head at Lucky and got up herself.

"I think I'm going to finish unpacking and then I'll pop down to see Father before I start on dinner. Perhaps I can learn a bit more of what's going on," Jennifer said.

"Getting involved already, are we?" Severus said disapprovingly.

"I'm only checking up on a family concern, Severus. Besides, if it does come down to it being a questionable cursed item, they're likely to Owl me anyhow, aren't they?" Jennifer pointed out.

"That doesn't mean you have to volunteer," Severus said, but knew perfectly well she wasn't going to listen when she simply smiled at him and wandered off to take care of her suitcases.

"This is going to be a really exciting summer, I just know it!" Ambrose said enthusiastically. Severus shifted his eyes towards him.

"The last thing we need after last year is any more excitement," Severus said flatly. "Now finish up, and then meet me downstairs."

"Yes, Uncle Severus," Ambrose said, eating as quickly as he could as if afraid he was going to miss something interesting.

Severus waved the tiny windows open to let in a bit more light, glancing around the laboratory briefly before lighting the stove. Nearby, Descartes still had his head in the fish chest, sifting through the ice with his beak in hopes that he had missed something, while Rasputin lay at the top of the large potion shelves as if he had been there all morning.

"How exactly does he get up there?" Ambrose asked curiously.

"Actually, no one is quite sure, and I have had no luck getting Rasputin to talk about it," Severus said, searching a small corner desk for a clipboard and then duplicating it and handing Ambrose one of them. "I need to check and make certain we have enough of everything we need until Yule. Why don't you go through that shelf over there with our dried ingredients while I'm tallying the potion shelves?"

"Sure, I can do that!" Ambrose said, flipping pages thoughtfully until he came to the list and pulled the scales off the shelves. They had been working quietly for several minutes before Ambrose let out a sigh of impatience. "I don't suppose there's anything you wanted to talk about?"

"A couple of things, actually," Severus said, frowning at the dates of one of the bottles. He swept the entire row of them up and placed them on the table. "Here, help me pour these into a cauldron. I need to nullify their effects so that they can safely be disposed of," he said, quickly and yet meticulously filling a tiny cauldron on the oven with ingredients before turning around and helping him open the bottles. "Jennifer and I stopped to visit your mother in the hospital before we went to pick you up…"

"Hospital?" Ambrose said with alarm.

"Oh, she didn't mention it? Well, it's nothing that you need to worry about, Ambrose, it's simply a precautionary procedure of sorts so that it is possible for she and your father to continue their relationship without any medical complications arising from it," Severus said, then noticed that Ambrose looked positively baffled. "It's to make certain she doesn't have any more children," he said bluntly.

"Oh! All right," Ambrose said, looking a bit relieved. "But that's a good thing then, isn't it? I mean, if she's willing to go to all this trouble and all, that means there must be some hope for them actually getting together, isn't there?"

"I believe that is their intention, yes," Severus agreed. "In fact, they've asked me to bring you to Canada next weekend where I believe they plan to make it official, although how the devil Vallid managed to get him all the proper paperwork to pull this thing off is beyond me."

"I just can't believe it!" Ambrose said happily. "It's like everything I've ever wanted is all coming about!"

"Yes, well, don't get too caught up in your expectations, Ambrose, there are sure to be many bumps in the road ahead filled with many growing pains for all three of you," Severus warned. "But the most important thing of all is for you to remember is that Toby is your father, Ambrose, _not_ Merlin. In fact, it's more important than ever, not only for your protection, but for his as well. If the truth gets out about your parentage, it will not be long before Toby is exposed as well. Now that you're a family, it's all tied together. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Ambrose said solemnly.

"Do not tell anyone, Ambrose, no one at all; including the other members of the Order of the Owls. Refer to him as father or Mr. Toby, but never so much hint to his other persona. If anything does come up in reference to his other self that you need to speak to someone about while you're at school, come see me. I'll make arrangements with the other professors to allow you to make an appointment if you need it," Severus said.

"All right," Ambrose agreed with a nod.

"And speaking of school, that brings us to my second point," Severus said, pouring out several bottles and placing them in a rack. "Now that you're going to be a fifth year, have you had any thoughts as to what you want to do with your life?"

"Well, I was thinking of maybe becoming a writer, actually," Ambrose said slowly, but Severus didn't seem too surprised and kept draining bottles. "History, especially, recording and gathering facts. I was even thinking of maybe sorting out all those Arthurian stories and putting together something more accurate."

"An ambitious goal to say the least," Severus said. "I imagine with enough time and effort and your father's wellspring of information of the first half of the events you might be able to come up with something, although I wonder how exactly you plan to back up all that information if you cannot tell anyone about who either of you are."

"I hadn't thought of that," Ambrose admitted.

"And even if you did find a way, how do you suppose the book would be received when it comes out that the author was ten?" Severus asked.

"Well, they liked my article on Hogwart's History," Ambrose said.

"Yes, although I had to sign my name to the byline as well, as you'll recall."

"That was only fair, since you helped me clean it up and edit it," Ambrose said.

"There is also the problem that when you get out of school, you'll only be thirteen and not a legal adult. And I for one rather don't like the idea of you being stuck at home for several years with nothing but idle hands and nothing to do with your time."

"I could always help out at Mr. Toby's shop," Ambrose suggested.

"That shop takes care of itself, Ambrose. The only reason Toby let you 'help him around the shop' was because he admired your enthusiasm and wanted to keep you close at hand to get to know you better and to keep an eye on you. But the shop really didn't need tending," Severus said.

"Then I'll help out at Corey's or at Mum's then, or maybe help Rose with the greenhouse," Ambrose said helplessly.

"And what of your writing?" Severus asked.

"Oh, I'll work on that too, of course."

"With what resources? There's no library in Hogsmeade. And what about experience? The best of writers rely on their own experiences to be able to relate information to the reader. Even books about factual events need to be written so it aids retention, or do you want to be the sort that writes the type of dull text book that students doodle pictures in the margins or kick into their closets tossed in with their dirty laundry?" Severus asked. Ambrose shook his head with a slight smile. "Ambrose, books have two main functions; to teach, or to entertain. The best books have a bit of both. And while it's true that you your research and investigative skills are astoundingly impressive and would be even if you were an adult, you do not have the experience as yet to do either of those effectively. Yes, well… I suppose you could take a stab at one or the other in certain circumstances, but in general, do you truly feel you could do both? Could you write a book right now that was more than the facts you were presented with?" Severus asked. Ambrose slowly shook his head. "How about in three more years?"

"But then what else can I do?" Ambrose asked, feeling a bit depressed.

"How would you like to stay in school?" Severus asked. Ambrose looked back up with surprise.

"What? You mean after my seventh year?" Ambrose asked.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Severus said, checking on the nullifier. "Have you heard of Whitebridge? It's an American school."

"Yes, Connie and some of the other Owls have pen pals from that school," Ambrose said.

"Jennifer's alma mater… it's a small school, but they offer a wide range of specialty courses, albeit mostly in nursing and medicine. Ginny Weasley went to school there for two years after she left Hogwarts, in fact. They also have an impressive library and facilities that I think you could take advantage of, although there is one area in particular I find lacking in that school; an understanding of Divination Arts," Severus said, Ambrose looking up in surprise.

"But I thought you didn't like Divination, Uncle Severus," Ambrose said.

"No, I don't," Severus admitted. "Even so, when the centaurs start pointing out constellations and juxtapositions, I do know what they're talking about. When Essie comes to me with a dream about blood on white canvas or prophets begin pointing out lines from Nostradamus or leaves in a teacup, I do have a basic understanding of where it's going. Jennifer, on the other hand," Severus said, glancing up at the basement door to make sure it was shut. "Is foggier than a broken crystal ball as to how all that is supposed to work, and I have found over the years… and most especially last year… it has rather made her vulnerable to believing in everything that comes out of the field.

"Whitebridge's attitude is quite understandable, really, they feel that students should be concentrating on more useful purposes. But I am of the opinion now that properly taught with a healthy dose of skepticism, Divination can help prevent certain people from being 'taken in,' or at the very least, keep it from running their lives. I believe Jennifer could have benefited from taking a Divination course, even if she might have hated it at the time, and other students might have as well. Pity that there is no one I can send as a sort of ambassador for that sort of thing." Ambrose grinned again.

"Perhaps I should make certain I keep up my Divination studies over the next few years along with whatever else I need," Ambrose said.

"I would have recommended it anyhow," Severus said with a shrug. "In any case, I think a couple of years out of the country might do you some good, and then you might consider coming back to Hogwarts as a librarian assistant for a couple of years, and perhaps begin work on that 'little' project of yours of putting Arthur's story to rights. Of course, it's only a suggestion, Ambrose. I've spoken to your parents about this and they are both are in favor of it, but they have left the decision up to you. You're quite welcome to go back to your original plan of being someone's shop boy for four years after you graduate."

"Actually, I rather like your idea better, although it does sound like an awful long time before I can start on that project," Ambrose admitted, debating on starting on it anyhow.

"I have a feeling you will not be lacking in writing projects, Ambrose, between that newspaper article of yours and the essays that will undoubtedly come if you continue studying history… and I have a personal writing project you might be able to help me with as well," Severus said, pouring the contents of the small cauldron in, the liquid in the large cauldron changing color until it simply looked liked dirty water. "But we can talk about the details later. Perhaps you had better run along and get cleaned up."

"All right. Thanks, Uncle Severus!" Ambrose said, putting the list down and hurrying up the stairs.

"Well, that solves that problem at least," Severus murmured to himself and turned back to his work.


	3. The Dark and Stormy Night

_Yule bonus chapter. Hope you have a good holiday, no matter which you celebrate, and I hope you enjoy the chapter._ _JCWriter_

Chapter Three

The Dark and Stormy Night

Thomas Craw paced the length of his office, wishing not for the first time that he had a longer office in which to do so, despite the fact the office was anything but small. In fact, Cynn Brogan, Rinan Scur, George Stockton, and even Earham Singh were sitting in the room, somberly watching him pace.

"I don't care what the hospital said, there is something not right about this whole situation," Thomas said. "The reason I hired Geffard in the first place was that he wasn't known for making mistakes when it came to checking and categorizing items. He had a real nose for spotting them even before any sort of detection spells were cast, and he damn well wouldn't have handled a cursed item without knowing all of its effects first. And yet they're trying to tell me that he died after handling a cursed item? No, that doesn't sit well with me, there is something not right. Do you know if he had any debts, Stock? Any enemies in the camp?"

"Well, he's never asked for an advance or borrowed against his wages," Stock said. "And as far as I know, everyone in the camp got along fairly well with him."

"Any recent hires that I don't know about?" Thomas asked.

"No, nothing other than miners, you know how they come and go. Normal turnover," Stock shrugged. Thomas thought about it for a moment.

"Get me a list," Thomas said at last. "Especially of anyone new or anyone quitting without notice."

"All right. Let me just run over to my office real quick, I can make you one off the last payroll," Stock said. Thomas waved him towards the door, and Stock walked out, pausing and opening it further so that Jennifer could enter.

"Oh, it's you," Thomas said flatly when he saw who it was, while Jennifer was still glancing around thoughtfully, taking note of who was in the room. "When did you get back?"

"Just this morning," Jennifer said, unconcerned with the lackluster greeting. "We saw what happened to Sam in the paper…"

"No one _saw_ what happened to Sam, except perhaps whoever killed him," Thomas grunted irritably.

"Then you don't think it was an item?" Jennifer frowned.

"I sent them to the lab, they're checking them now," Thomas said. "Although it didn't take long for Artifacts to find out I sent it to the lab first, so they sent someone along to 'supervise'."

"More than likely, they are simply trying to think up violations and pulling up every legal book they can find to give them a reason to confiscate them," Rinan said.

Thomas stopped his pacing and pointed at Rinan, glancing up at Jennifer whose lip had begun to curl.

"See? It isn't just me!" Thomas said.

"And I'm sure Severus would agree with you," Jennifer said with a shake of the head and a smile. "Still, Coffers is a good man, and I think he's only trying to do his job."

"Good men should _not_ be in politics," Thomas said curtly. "You can't get things done by being good. The Artifacts Department would simply poke at it with interest until someone else is foolish enough to report a discovered item to them; then they would promptly stick the first item in the vault with a tag around it and forget about it."

"Something that is forgotten is also not likely to be missed," Rinan mused.

"An interesting point," Thomas admitted, while Jennifer let out an exasperated sigh and Earham pretended he hadn't heard Rinan at all. "Which does make me wonder even more. We still don't have a possible motive for Geffard's death, and I'm not ready to rule out that the items they found no matter what the outcome of the tests. But if it was one of the items they were after, why were they in such a hurry to get a hold of it? They could have waited until my team had tagged and sorted them and got back to work surveying the new tunnel for gold. No one would have been the wiser."

"It would have been no reason to murder Geffard, Thomas," Earham pointed out.

"Perhaps he discovered something else," Thomas mused. "Perhaps he found something or found out something so detrimental that he was killed to keep him from speaking out."

"Assuming he was murdered at all," Rinan reminded them. "These things do happen on site from time to time, we all know that."

"I still don't like it," Thomas said stubbornly, pacing again.

"It's part of your job to be suspicious, Thomas," Rinan grunted. "But let's not get too carried away just yet. There's no evidence of foul play, you know."

There was a brisk knock, and Jennifer opened the door curiously, and then smiled warmly.

"Oh, hello, Paul. Hello, David," she said as a young man in lab robes came in followed by the Minister of Artifacts.

"Good evening, Jennifer!" David Coffers answered with a smile.

"I've finished those tests sir," Paul said. "And although some of the items have basic enchantments, including the bag, none of the items seem to be cursed."

"None of them at all?" Thomas squinted.

"I did have to confiscate one item, Thomas," Coffers put in, handing him some paperwork. "The small Egyptian sarcophagus with the mummified cat in it."

"Never mind it was solid gold and probably worth more than any other piece," Rinan said.

"Now, that can't be helped, Mr. Scur. You know what our trade agreements with Egypt are like, and considering the strange collection within the bag it's quite possible this one had been stolen at some point. In which case, you couldn't have sold it legally if you had wanted to," Coffers pointed out. "However, the rest of the collection is hardly without its merits. Some of the histories of those items are rather interesting, in fact. Like that monkey paw, for example… I found some rather interesting legends about a mummified monkey paw in old Archives records. Apparently one came to our country before… from India, I believe, that was cursed to grant three wishes to three men, who all ended up coming to terrible ends. The widow of the last was said to have hired someone to have taken it out of the country in hopes to be rid of the curse."

"Yes, I've heard that story before," Thomas said.

"I wonder if that's why all the local miners seemed to be afraid of it," Stock said, everyone glancing at him curiously. "When Sam brought the pouch with the paw out of the mine, there was a lot of murmuring going on. In fact, several of them refused to work while it was on the site, saying that bad things would happen to them if they tried."

"Well, there are no curses on that paw, Mr. Stockton. I tested it myself," Paul said. "I also had some chemical tests done as well, Mr. Craw. We found no traces of viruses or malignant bacteria on anything that might explain his sudden collapse." Thomas frowned at that, and then glanced at Stockton.

"Get me a release of that autopsy," Thomas said.

"Thomas, considering that the death happened on your property, perhaps you should get Adler on this one?" Coffers ventured.

"Considering everyone keeps telling me it was just a coincidence, why should I have to?" Thomas retorted. "When can I pick up those other items?"

"I just need to finish recording their properties for Mr. Coffers, sir. I should have them done sometime tomorrow," Paul said.

"Thank you, Scarlet, that'll be all," Thomas said, waving the lab assistant off. "Unless there's anything else at the moment?"

"No, not at all, have a good evening, Thomas," Coffers said, apparently glad to get out of there. Jennifer looked after him thoughtfully.

"Now that that old blowhard is out of the way," Thomas began after Coffers closed the door. "Jen-girl, how would you feel about taking your own look at those items?"

"I would be glad to, Father, although Paul was one of my students, you know. He's not likely to miss anything."

"I agree on many occasions he's been more than thorough, and between he and Ginger the work in our investigations lab has been exemplary," Thomas grunted. "But I want better than thorough this time, Jen-girl. I want to be _certain._"

"In that case, you'd better send them to Hogwarts," Jennifer decided. "I'll tag along with Severus this weekend and get to work."

"That'll do nicely," Thomas decided, finally deciding a seat before offering his companions some drinks.

* * *

The sky had darkened menacingly as Jennifer had left the Ministry, making her pause and listen to the thunder in the distance. She went inside then to find that Ben had gotten home and was at his computer, while his two sons were playing on the living room floor… or rather arguing… for Janus kept pulling his toys closer with a resounding, "Mine!" while Rus was content to watch him uncaringly, saying the name, "Jay!" over and over again.

"Hullo, Ben! There's a nasty storm coming in," Jennifer said, turning up the gaslights.

"I know, I'm just checking my messages before I turn it off. Do you want me to let Alex know you're home?" Ben asked.

"Oh… um, yes, I suppose, but I think I'll hold off having a family dinner until tomorrow night. I don't want anyone out in this. I'm afraid it'll just have to be the seven of us tonight," Jennifer decided, venting one of the windows and kissing both the boys before wandering towards the kitchen. Ben watched her go before he broke into a hearty chuckle, shaking his head as he saved his work and shut the computer down.

Jennifer paused long enough to peer out the back door, sighing in disbelief to see that Ambrose and Lucky were still in the backyard kicking a ball back and forth.

"Honestly, don't you both have the sense to come in when the weather gets bad?" Jennifer scolded them.

"What? It's not even raining yet!" Lucky protested.

"I think I just felt something," Ambrose said ominously.

"No, you didn't!" Lucky murmured as a sudden wind came up and she tried to look calm despite Ambrose's quick decision to run into the house.

"Come on, Lucky! We don't want to be hit by lightning or anything!" Ambrose said.

"Gimme a break, it'd hit the tree first," Lucky snorted, walking more calmly behind him while Jennifer suddenly paled.

"My tree!" Jennifer exclaimed, standing near the door and staring at it worriedly. She looked behind her to make sure they were inside before uncuffing her wand and quickly casting a spell on it to deflect lightning. Just then, the rain began to come down, dropping tiny pellets of ice along with it and causing Jennifer to scramble inside. "Lucky, don't you dare turn on that contraption!" she scolded, cutting off the girl's descent upon the television. "Why don't you two make certain all the familiars are in?"

"Should I open the window in the attic?" Lucky asked.

"No, because the last time we did that when it rained, we found stains on Alex and Ben's ceiling the next morning. Open up the one at the end of the hall instead," Jennifer decided. Just then, the light outside brightened and then dimmed. Before the thunder finally caught up with the lightning, Severus had emerged from the library with a book in his hand. He gazed fixedly at Jennifer only for a moment, but she smiled at him with a knowing, reassuring smile.

"Just a summer squall, though a nasty one more than likely. Everyone's in," Jennifer explained. "Lucky, go open that window like I asked."

"Yes, and why don't you bring down your summer homework? It seems a fine time for you both to work on it… down here, so I can make certain you're both working on it," he said for good measure, lighting a small fire in the fireplace as Lucky reluctantly did what she was told. "Mercy, how about tea and sandwiches?"

"I was about to make dinner," Jennifer protested.

"Small sandwiches," Severus added, despite the fact that Jennifer knew that Mercy would simply pile them up all the higher if she thought they were too little.

"I like rain," Ambrose said cheerfully, watching as it began to pour. "It rather makes me feel sleepy sometimes, though."

"Same with these two," Ben chuckled, for although Icarus had been wide-awake and active just a moment before, he had decided to curl up and take a nap. "I think I'll just lay them down here in the pen."

Ambrose immediately helped out by picking up the toys and had them all put out of the way by the time Lucky got back with their assignments, and then the two of them sat at the dining room table.

"I don't suppose you can help me in the kitchen for a moment or two, Severus?" Jennifer asked.

Severus slipped his bookmark back into place with a thoughtful look on his face and followed her. Ambrose watched curiously as he walked through the dining room, then leaned over to where Lucky was sitting.

"I didn't think Uncle Severus ever helped out in the kitchen," Ambrose whispered.

"He doesn't. She probably just wanted to talk to him," Lucky said with a shrug.

"About her trip to the Ministry?" Ambrose asked, and Lucky hushed him softly.

"Homework," Severus reminded them sharply as he sat down at the counter and the two of them quickly turned their attention to what they were supposed to be doing. A curious shimmer appeared within the archway between the kitchen and the dining room. Lucky sighed, knowing that the Professor had put up a Sonorous Shield.

"Let that be a lesson to ya, Bill," Lucky said, shaking her head. "If you want to learn anything in this house, don't act like you're interested."

"How I detest storms," Severus muttered as he put away his wand, Jennifer gazing at him with a sympathetic smile as she started a pot of coffee. There was another flash and they paused to listen to the thunder rumble through.

"It is getting closer, but considering how fast it's moving, I'm sure it'll be over before you know it," Jennifer said. "It really has cooled down, hasn't it? Perhaps I'll make an eel and kidney pie or something."

"Since when do you make anything traditional?" Severus challenged her.

"Just for a change of pace," Jennifer said with a grin, pulling out the cheese and a pan and setting them on the counter.

"So how did your snooping about go this afternoon? I trust that's why you asked me in here," Severus said, helping himself to a piece of the cheese since Jennifer had made the mistake of setting it within reach.

"I wasn't snooping, Severus, I was simply asking my father if there was anything I can do to help," Jennifer said defensively, attempting to ignore the dubious look on Severus' face. "You see, Father thinks Sam's death wasn't a fluke at all. He thinks that he might have been murdered," Jennifer explained. "In fact, Rinan, Cynn and Earsinge were there when I got there and they were all discussing the possibility."

"Yes, well, what does that have to do with us?" Severus asked.

"Well, the doctors who examined him said that it was most likely toxic poisoning from something in the sealed cavern itself, while the locals thought that it might have been one of the cursed items they found; but the Ministry just got done checking those items and found nothing magical or toxic on any of them."

"That would seem to support Thomas' theory of foul play then, wouldn't it?" Severus said, taking the offered cup from Jennifer. "Only you haven't answered my question yet."

"Oh, well, Father asked me to double check the items to make sure that Paul and Ginger hadn't missed anything," Jennifer said.

"Wasn't Scarlet one of your best items students?" Severus asked flatly.

"Yes, so he was, as was Ginger in Potions, I admit," Jennifer said. "And I'm sure they were quite thorough, but there's no harm in a second look on something like this, just in case it is connected to that poor man's death. Now, don't worry, Severus, I had no intention of looking at them here. I'll just wait until Alex comes home for the weekend and I'll pop back to Hogwarts with you and go over them all."

"Oh very well, I suppose there is no harm in that," Severus decided with a sigh. "Unless you've volunteered me in something you haven't told me about?"

"I'd never do that, Severus!" Jennifer protested, but before he could challenge it, there was a huge crack of lightning and a loud peel of thunder, the house shaking violently. "Goodness that was close! It almost felt like it hit the house."

"With all the lightning rods we have on the roof?" Severus asked, but then they heard Lucky scream and both ran in the hallway.

"There's smoke up there! Why is there smoke?" Lucky shouted.

"Now, don't panic, Fortuna! Stay near the door, all of you!" Severus snapped as he and Jennifer raced up the stairs with their wands out.

The haze upstairs didn't seem to have a source, but when the two of them checked Ben and Alex's bedroom, they saw water pouring in. Immediately, Severus backtracked over to the attic, feeling the trap door before pushing it open with the iron and getting inundated with smoke and rain for his efforts as he clamored up. "Stay there, Jennifer!" Severus ordered.

Jennifer peered out with her wand in her hand, blinking in surprise to see a large hole blasted out of the back of the attic. Many of the boards and shingles were still smoldering, but fortunately many precautions had once been taken against such an occurrence, and with the help of the rain it was quickly extinguished.

"Now that's going to be a pretty mess in the morning," Severus said grumpily as he came back down onto the third floor and closing the trap, looking forlornly at the soaked hall. "Ben and the boys are going to have to stay in the two 'just in case' bedrooms for awhile, Jennifer. You may want to warn him and have him gather up what he can that might get ruined."

"All right, Severus," Jennifer said, while Severus paused to cast a dry spell on both himself and on the floor, despite the futility of it. A moment later, Ben ran into his bedroom while Jennifer went over to reassure Ambrose and Lucky, who were both holding Janus and Rus at the bottom of the stairs.

"It's all right, you can go back to the living room now," Jennifer said. "There's no fire at all, although Ben and Alex's room is flooded. The attic was a little damaged from the lightning."

"A little?" Severus repeated in disbelief as he came downstairs, getting a sharp look of warning from Jennifer.

"Lucky, why don't you and Ambrose find a book to read out loud to see if you can calm Jay and Rus down," Jennifer suggested.

"How about _Paul Clifford_?" Ambrose said mischievously. "You know, the dark and stormy night bit?"

Severus gave him a dirty look and fished through Janus' books and gave him _The Happy Magic Train. _Reluctantly, Ambrose took it and sat down with Lucky, who seemed no more thrilled at the selection than he did. But the moment Janus saw the book, he made an effort to climb up on the couch and Ambrose soon found him in his lap.

"I just don't understand how that lightning got through our barrage of lightning protections on this house," Severus went on when he joined Jennifer in the kitchen. "Granted, it's been a while since I've looked over the securities, but I had taken every precaution. From the way the damage looked, it was as if the lightning came in sideways of all things, almost as if it were deflected off something rather than grounded."

Jennifer suddenly stopped dead in the middle of the kitchen floor with the coffee pot in one hand and her cup in the other.

"Oops," Jennifer said. Severus gazed at her searchingly, then squinted when she became increasingly embarrassed. "Actually, Severus, there's a slight possibility that I might have done something that would cause that. I… well, if you must know, Lucky said something about the tree getting hit by lightning, so I thought I'd take a bit of a precaution and put a deflection spell on it."

"You what?" Severus said with a deadpan expression. "Jennifer, I put protections on that tree at the same time I put the ones on the house. If you deflected them, it's no wonder it didn't ground properly!"

"You protected Corey's tree? Oh, that's very thoughtful of you," Jennifer said, and Severus rolled his eyes.

"Don't you give me that innocent routine, Jennifer, that stopped working years ago. Have you forgotten that our insurance doesn't cover lightning damage anymore? They tried to raise our rates for the third time straight and we dropped it for better lab explosion coverage. Do you remember?" Severus scolded her, and her face fell.

"Oh, dear, I do remember that now," Jennifer admitted, sitting back down and leaning her chin against her hand. "I'm sorry, Severus. I guess I just panicked."

"I suppose it could have been worse," Severus said with a more relaxed sigh. "We may have half an attic and a leaky bedroom, but there was nothing but a few scattered embers to put out and everyone was downstairs."

"I suppose it's a good thing you started insisting everyone stay on the first floor during storms then," Jennifer said with an apologetic tone in her voice.

"Yes, it's a good thing everyone humored my little paranoia, isn't it?" Severus said, knowing that his wife had always thought it a bit silly. "I had better go into the front room and make certain that Fortuna has calmed down."

"Send her in here to help me, Severus, the work will do her some good," Jennifer suggested.

"Very well. When the rain lets up, I'll send an owl over to Sirius about the damage. I suppose I'll have to go to the bank tomorrow," Severus mused. "As much as we've been taking out lately for this project or that, I'll be quite surprised if they don't decide to close the bank the moment they see me coming." Jennifer chuckled softly as he slipped into the front room, pausing after a flash and able to count a few seconds before hearing the rumble of thunder. Feeling more reassured, Jennifer went back to making dinner.


	4. Another Unfortunate Death

Chapter Four

Another Unfortunate Death

The storm the night before had washed the streets clean, and the morning was pleasantly cool compared to how it normally was that time of year. Severus Apparated near the bank, still frowning at the paper in his hand showing Sirius' estimates, wondering how high it would have been had Sirius not married his sister. Sighing softly, Severus walked in and towards the tellers, unsurprised that he was getting suspicious looks from the goblins he passed to get there. Only one customer was in front of him, but when the wizard moved out of the way, Severus couldn't help but notice that the teller had been swiftly replaced and it was Griphook who was giving him a black beady eyed stare.

"Please tell me you're not here to dip into your retirement fund again," said Griphook.

"Actually, no. The board decided to approve my project for this summer," Severus said evenly, but Griphook still looked suspicious.

"Another extravagant gift for your wife?" the goblin asked guardedly.

"No, she's quite placated at the moment," Severus said.

"Yes, well, if my wife were as expensive as yours, I'd have divorced her due to irreconcilable accounts long ago," Griphook admitted. "And sued her for the deficit."

"Despite appearances, I consider it a worthwhile investment," Severus said, but it was obvious that Griphook was still bracing himself. "I need to make a withdraw from our emergency funds, actually, our house was damaged from last night's storm."

"Storm damage? Don't you have insurance?"

"Not this type, no," Severus said, handing him the paper. Griphook let out a growl from deep in the back of his throat.

"This is the entire account."

"Only nearly," Severus said defensively. Griphook shook his head and sighed.

"I have a better idea, Professor," Griphook said. "Rather than watch you liquidate another account, why don't we set up a loan for this? You own your own home, are steadily employed, are in decent standing with the bank except for the steady stream trickling out of your personal accounts and retirement fund, and I believe you would be better off with a low interest loan rather than leaving yourself completely strapped if something else does happen. That way, you don't find yourself in a position to have to liquidate any of your stocks or long term investments if some other calamity hits."

Severus didn't have to think about it for very long.

"And just how low of a rate did you have in mind?" he asked in a low voice.

"Quite reasonable, considering your accounts and standing, and despite recent behavior patterns," Griphook said. "And since your pay goes directly into your vault, the payments can be automatically taken out. Therefore, I can give you our best rate… for wizardkind, anyway. Let me go get some paperwork."

Severus waited quietly, making a silent promise to himself that he wouldn't invest his private money into any school projects this year so he could start building up the accounts again. It was an unlikely promise to keep; something always came up that he wanted to have done or fixed that the board wouldn't approve of that he then would pay for out of spite so he could get it done anyhow.

It was while his wandering mind was toying with possible scenarios or board arguments that might come up during the upcoming year that his necklace began to react. Of course, he was in a public place, Severus mused, although the idea of anyone actively observing him banking was enough to prompt him to have a quick glance around.

To his complete surprise, his eyes instantly met the rather solemn but intense gaze of a boy with grey hair, standing in one of the doors behind a line of desks at the very back of the room.

"Impossible," Severus murmured, and would have gone over there to speak with him had Griphook not returned just then, clearing his throat.

"Here is your paperwork, Professor," Griphook said with a thin fanged smile. "I think you'll find everything in order."

"That boy over there, who is he?" Severus said. Griphook gazed at him steadily.

"What boy, Professor?" the goblin asked. Severus glanced back around, but did a double take when he saw that he wasn't there anymore.

"The boy that was standing over by the officer's desks just to the right of your office. He must have gone in that other door," Severus said firmly, quite certain he wasn't seeing things.

"That door is for bank employees only, Professor Snape," Griphook said calmly. "Care to look over the contract?" Severus frowned, studying Griphook carefully before glancing around the room, uncertain of any other exit the boy could have taken and still gotten out of his sight so fast. "Or would you care to just sign it?" Griphook suggested, and Severus forced his attention back to the matter at hand, despite the urge to turn around every few minutes, just in case.

"The boy?" Jennifer echoed when he told her about it after he returned home. "But how could that be possible? Are you sure it was the same one, Severus?"

"How many young boys have your seen with hair that color? It was the same one, which does nothing but baffle me even more than when I first caught sight of him in the middle of the ocean. And I'm not imagining it," Severus said firmly, but Jennifer simply shook her head.

"I don't think you're imagining it, Severus, and I haven't since you first mentioned it," Jennifer reassured him with such sincerity that he frowned, not responding right away.

"Well, if I were anyone else, I'd be quite convinced that I was imagining it," Severus said. Jennifer looked up from the loan contract and gazed at him.

"Was that statement supposed to make sense?" Jennifer asked.

"You know perfectly well what I meant," Severus said flatly.

"Well, I wouldn't worry, Severus. I really don't think all that many people would think you're imagining it," Jennifer said, her tone suddenly turning mischievous. "After all, nearly half of the witch and wizard population in the area has had to sit through your classes, and every one of them has mentioned how your classes always lacked in imagination."

Caught unawares, it took Severus an extra second to realize what she said before he turned around with a dangerous glint in his eye.

Jennifer immediately bolted in response, diving through the hall and into the bedroom and slamming the door shut. It was followed by the sound of a heavy bolt being thrown into place. Severus went over to the door, squinting at it before putting a hand on the door, attempting to feel any vibrations as he listened to see if she was still standing there.

"Is something wrong? Are you fighting?" Ambrose asked worriedly from the front room.

"No, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to get even," Severus said, loud enough it could be heard through the door.

"You want me to open it?" Lucky offered when she looked around the corner as well.

"No, I have it under control, Fortuna, thank you, go back to whatever it was you were doing," Severus suggested, waiting until the two of them went back in the front room and he could hear the sound of the television before digging out the Hole in his pocket.

He slapped it against the door and reached in, a squeal of surprise ringing out in response while he smirked to himself and gave her enough reason to back away from the door so he could try to unlatch it.

He had just managed to throw back the latch and had gotten out his wand to charge inside when he heard a soft sniggering from down the hall. Severus looked over in surprise to see Sirius learning over the rail near the bottom of the stairs.

"What are you doing down here?" Severus snapped irritably.

"Do you often have to break into your own room?" Sirius asked, ignoring the question.

"Sirius?" Jennifer's hollow voice called out, then her head and one arm appeared out of the hole. "He's miffed because I told him that his students thought he his classes had no imagination," she said.

"Well they don't, according to what I've heard from Harry," Sirius shrugged.

"You mind your own business!" Severus said. "Jennifer, if that hole gets moved, you're going the find yourself in a very nasty position."

"I'm not worried. I trust you, Severus," Jennifer said.

"Perhaps you oughtn't just now," Severus said in a warning tone, but Jennifer just chuckled and went back inside.

"Nice to see the two of you were able to patch things up," Sirius commented sincerely as Severus put his Hole back in his pocket and walked over.

"Yes, although at this moment, you should be more concerned with patching that ceiling up," Severus retorted.

"Actually, that's why I'm down here. I wanted to let you know that I've temporarily fixed that part of it. I put a temporary waterproof tarp over the roof itself, although the bedroom still is going to need to be resealed and repainted. Am I clear to buy supplies and fix this thing, or did the bank roll up the carpets?" Sirius smirked.

"Whatever it takes to get the job done right, Sirius. The first consideration being to safety," Severus said.

"Yes, yes, I know. Would you like a wood floor up there to go along with it?" Sirius asked knowingly. "I noticed that part of the attic had plywood over the beams and plaster."

"A small roosting area in the far back corner wouldn't hurt either, we do get a lot of post traffic in this house, after all," Severus mused. "As long as it doesn't cost too much more."

"It shouldn't," Sirius said, making a note.

Just then there was a loud persistent cawing sound coming from the kitchen.

"That sounds like Hastings, I'll get it," Jennifer said, stepping out of the bedroom and into the kitchen to grab the note from the raven. "Odd, it's on official Ministry paper," she murmured to herself before opening it, gasping in horror as she read it, reading it a second time to make certain she wasn't making a mistake.

"Severus, get in here!" Jennifer shouted, and Severus and Sirius both hurried in.

"What is it, Jennifer? What's wrong?" Severus asked.

"It's about Paul," Jennifer said, handing him the note, and Severus read it then glanced between them.

"'Paul Scarlet was found dead in this home this morning from apparent blunt trauma when a tree came down on his house during yesterday's storm. I, however, find the incident somewhat suspicious considering the earlier incident this week, and have decided to investigate further. I will not, therefore, be ready to release any items just yet. I need more time not only to research each item in more detail to find out what if any reason someone might find any of them valuable, but also because I believe under the circumstances that it would be much more prudent to move these items in a more discreet manner. If you wish further details on the matter, feel free to contact me,'" Severus recited, glancing over Thomas' letter again.

"I just can't believe it, it's just too horrible," Jennifer said, rubbing her arms as if feeling a chill. "He was only twenty-three, and had such potential!"

"A Ravenclaw through and through," Severus said quietly.

"It was a nasty storm, not that I need to tell either of you that, under the circumstances," Sirius said. "I wouldn't be surprised if quite a number of trees were downed by it. Why is it that it sounds like Thomas thinks its more than a freak accident?"

"One of his employees died mysteriously after handling some items they found in the mine," Jennifer explained. "Paul had done some research on them to try and find any hidden curses."

"Well, either this was an unfortunate accident, or he missed one," Sirius said.

"Or Thomas is right and there is something quite sinister going on," Severus said.

"Is that what you think as well?" Sirius asked.

"I don't know," Severus admitted. "An accident seems the most reasonable conclusion and the more likely of the three. However, if there is a possibility that something else is going on, I think Thomas is right in not ruling it out. Better to investigate thoroughly now rather than regret labeling as an accident if it turns out that it wasn't."

"True," Sirius admitted. "And I am quite glad Craw is thorough, considering I know better than anyone what can come of circumstantial evidence. But I also wouldn't be surprised if this came out to being nothing more than a bit of bad luck."

* * *

Aurelius knocked gently at the open lab door, waiting patiently for the girl with curly golden hair and starched white lab robes to acknowledge him. Ginger finally glanced away from her bubbling phials with a sigh, using her tongs to put them all on a rack to cool before finally raising up her goggles.

"Not planning on taking a lunch today?" Aurelius asked solemnly.

"I don't exactly have anyone to relieve me, do I?" Ginger snapped, but then calmed down, instantly regretting saying it. "It's been a rough morning."

"I would imagine so," Aurelius said glancing at the specimen cooler thoughtfully. "You know, I never see you in the lunch room. I don't suppose you have anything stashed here?"

"Not much to share," Ginger said.

"I ate. I'm here officially, I'm afraid," Aurelius explained, pulling a pair of stools over into a small alcove that housed counters and an extra sink. Ginger grabbed her lunch and a couple of bottles out of the cooler, handing him one. "Thanks," he said, inspecting the label but squinting at the color. "Are you sure this is just tea?"

"If it isn't, it won't take you long to find out," Ginger pointed out, sitting down and opening her bottle and setting down her lunch. "I guess this is about Paul, isn't it?"

"I just need you to answer some routine questions, Ginger, if you don't mind," Aurelius said.

"Aren't you supposed to go into some spiel about being a Truth Seeker or something like that by now?" Ginger inquired.

"Why bother when you already know it?" Aurelius shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess it doesn't matter, does it?" Ginger sighed.

"So, how long had you known Paul?" he asked.

"Since he got the job, really. Nice guy, although a bit shy, but I could usually get him to open up as long as I kept it to work related topics," Ginger said.

"Ever date him?" Aurelius asked.

"No, he was too tall for me," Ginger evenly. Aurelius blinked at that, despite her serious face.

"Wasn't he just under Andrew's height?" Aurelius said.

"Yeah, that's probably why I thought he was too tall," Ginger admitted bluntly, and Aurelius couldn't help smirking at that. "Well, it's hardly a secret, and I might as well be up front about it with you considering you can read anything I'm thinking anyhow."

"Only surface thoughts," Aurelius protested.

"Exactly. Andrew's too shallow for thoughts about him to be anywhere else. Sorry, I didn't mean to go on about your brother like that…"

"It's okay, it's nothing I haven't thought of myself," Aurelius said with a chuckle. "Although off the record, I am glad you finally woke up and got yourself out of that."

"Thanks, although honestly, it's put me off of dating in general. The cute ones have no interest in settling down, the smart ones are too busy proving how right they are to have a decent conversation, and the ones that are interested in settling down are more interested in how well you cook and how fast they can get you pregnant, and none of them seem to care about anything but what they can get out of the relationship. So the short answer is no, we weren't dating, we were only workmates, and outside of that lab I know nothing about what he does."

"Fair enough," Aurelius said with a nod. "I mainly wanted to talk to you about that anyhow… specifically about the items that Craw Mining found. When the two of you were running tests, do you remember him commenting on them?"

"Well, I do remember him telling me that the mummified monkey's paw was probably the oddest thing he's ever had to test while he's been working here," Ginger said. "In fact, I think he was rather disappointed when it turned out not to be cursed… well, you know how item specialists get about that sort of thing."

"Do I ever," Aurelius snorted.

"Oh, and he also thought it was strange that all the items had come from different locations around the world, and none of them were from the same country… the majority weren't even from the same region. If they were looters, wouldn't the majority of them be from the same region?" Ginger asked, and Aurelius studied her carefully.

"You're right, that is odd," Aurelius decided. "Anything else? Anything out of the ordinary?"

"Oh, well, we did have to wait an extra day to check the gold sarcophagus… the one with the cat in it… due to having to wait for permissions from their government. But I don't think it was magic, because Paul didn't comment on it, and he probably would have had he found anything interesting. Really, it did look more like something picked up for the value rather than any magic significance."

"Then why do you suppose they were carrying around that monkey paw when it didn't seem to have either?" Aurelius asked distantly.

"Good luck charm?" Ginger shrugged. "If so, I think they got the wrong kind of luck."

"Thanks, Ginger. I'll talk to grandfather and remind him he needs to get someone else in here with you," Aurelius assured her, getting up.

"Eh, I'm used to being alone," Ginger shrugged, turning her attention to her lunch.

"You're used to it," Aurelius acknowledged, "But you hate it."

"And I hate Truth Seekers," Ginger retorted, but Aurelius simply chuckled sympathetically.

"Besides, it's against safety regulations. I'll have someone brought in," Aurelius said.

"Thanks," Ginger said with a sigh.

"Thanks for the tea," Aurelius said, setting the bottle on the counter. "By the way, which type of bottle would you have given Andrew if he had come in?" Ginger simply smirked. "That's what I thought," he smirked as well, then excused himself and left.


	5. Maurice

_A/N Happy New Year's to everyone, hope it's a better one (even if you had a great year last year. ;) )_

Chapter Five

Maurice

Maurice Craw looked up from his book when the clock on the wall chimed the quarter of an hour, immediately putting his bookmark into place and setting it on the nightstand. He got up and straightened all the wrinkles out of his bedspread before getting ready for dinner, putting on a nice shirt and slipping his wand in the loop on his belt.

He paused to straighten one of his plaques on the wall that had gotten slightly crooked; announcing he had taken first place in Academic achievements. It was one of a very large collection of them on both the walls and the top of the dresser, each one declaring his first place titles… not that he didn't get a second or third place on the rare occasion that he (in his opinion) wasn't in his best form. But when he did, those awards were discarded before he arrived home and prizes if any distributed to others.

Two of his smaller plaques he had actually hooked to the mirror; one declaring him the handsomest boy in class, and the other declaring him the most frightening boy in class… both of which he had won in the exact same year. He combed back his auburn hair, gazed at the icy blue stare in the mirror, his eyes so light that often they looked like polished silver.

Glancing at the clock once more, he swiftly made his way downstairs to find the table already set and waiting. He wandered into the kitchen and sniffed the air, watching as his mother carefully measured out half a shot of Wailing Inis whisky and tossed it into a pan with the cabbage, igniting and letting out an eerie ghostly sound as it burnt off, leaving only the flavor behind.

"So we're having bubbles and shriek? Did you make squash muffins too?" Maurice asked eagerly.

"You only have wait two minutes to find out, _mon ch_é_ri,_" Fleur said, glancing at the clock in the kitchen and then out the window with a frown.

Two minutes later, Maurice did the same as well. Then he took his pocket watch out to double check the time on the kitchen clock.

"Father is late. He's likely to be cross," Maurice said solemnly.

"I am afraid you are probably right," Fleur sighed. "Here, Maurice! Take the bottle and put it by your father's plate, and the shot glass, and then make sure the window is open in case Hastings comes home with a message."

"Yes, mother," Maurice said, and went into the dining room. Fleur carefully put their dinner under covered trays to keep them warm, sighing softly to herself as she gazed at the table and towards the clock over the mantle.

Just then there was the rattle of the door handle. The two of them stopped what they were doing and hurried over, both waiting eagerly at the door as Thomas opened the door, looking slightly haggard.

"Oh, Thomas, there you are! Is everything all right?" Fleur said.

"Fine, fine… calm down, I'm only five minutes late," Thomas said grumpily, glancing between the two of them before walking in.

"But that is not like you, Thomas. Not when you left me no word," Fleur chided him.

"I suppose not," Thomas admitted, walking into the dining room with Fleur and Maurice right behind him. "As it so happens I had every intention of coming home on time, but our dear Minister of Magic waylaid me in the hall," he snarled. "He has decided to go over my head and officially declare Scarlet's death an accident. He said that the Ministry of Law Enforcement has better things to do than chase imaginary criminals when so many 'real' ones are running rampant, that our resources were of better use elsewhere, and after that, he then had the gall to remind me that next year is an election year and people would question my intentions and 'misusing funds and power' for personal affairs. In short, he thinks I'm nothing but a paranoid old man who is off on a wild goose chase."

"I do not believe that Draco would say such a thing to you! He's always respected you, Thomas!" Fleur protested.

"Well, he may not have said it, but that's what he meant by what he said," Thomas grumped irritably, pouring himself a drink.

"I think you are reading too much into things again," Fleur tsked, Thomas putting down the drink and focusing in on her.

"Are you referring to Draco? Or Scarlet's death?" he asked.

"I meant Draco of course, Thomas," Fleur said as she removed the lids off the dishes but then paused. "But what if he is right? Is there no chance at all that these deaths could be just a coincidence as the Minister says? After all, that was a mighty powerful storm. The secret lab was down all night because of it, as I recall. Oh… but you did get caught up on all your business paperwork that night," Fleur added brightly.

"An honest opinion, Fleur. Do you think I'm imagining things?" Thomas asked seriously. Fleur grew thoughtful as she finally sat down, thinking it over.

"Well, I do think you are right in there is something quite suspicious about Mr. Geffard's death," Fleur said. "But Mr. Scarlet… I am not so certain. And after all, Thomas, if you are right, you have always told us that knowing is not enough. You need evidence."

"Yes, evidence… something I have none of, nor do I have any idea who to suspect or even a motive… just a satchel full of old but rather unimpressive enchanted items and a pouch with a supposedly cursed monkey's paw that isn't," Thomas said, stabbing restlessly at his food.

"Weren't you going to have Jennifer look at those, Father?" Maurice asked.

"Yes," Thomas sighed, finally reaching for his tea. "But circumstantial or not, I am a bit leery about giving her those items if they do pose a threat. I think I'll wait until she's returned to the castle full time, assuming no one else turns up dead."

Just then there was a soft rattle and Maurice became alert, attempting to look through the far door by leaning back.

"Maurice, sit up at the table," Fleur scolded lightly.

"Might I be excused?" Maurice asked.

"But you've barely touched your dinner!" she exclaimed.

"I ate the muffins," Maurice protested. Thomas sighed.

"Maurice, do as your mother tells you and eat. You don't need to be bothering Earham every night anyhow. Give the man his privacy."

"He's a goblin," Maurice said evenly. "And you asked him to let you know if I ever bothered him."

"He's whatever he wants to be, and if there was any one bad habit he has picked up from being raised as a human, it's his insufferable politeness," Thomas said. "He wouldn't tell me if you were bothering him. Now, eat."

"Perhaps I should invite him in, Thomas," Fleur suggested.

"He knows he has a standing invitation at the table," Thomas said calmly.

"He said he was going to check for me and see if the next book in the series was out," Maurice explained.

"Which series is that?" Thomas asked distractedly, concentrating on eating.

"Wizards of M.C.," Maurice said, sighing when his father gave him a blank look. "You know, the Meglomaniacs Club. It's the series that starts with the book, 'I was a Teenage Meglomaniac.'"

"That doesn't sound like an instructional book," Thomas said flatly.

"It isn't. It's fiction," Maurice explained. "It's all about a bunch of power-crazed students that take over their wizard school to use as a headquarters to rule the continent; only they keep running into problems. I swear, just when I think it's starting to get interesting, they throw some sort of twisted morality lesson into it. You can't trust any children's literature anymore…"

"Don't you have better things to do with your time? Like studying that spell book I gave you?" Thomas asked critically.

"I finished it, Father," Maurice said.

"Oh," Thomas said, turning back to his food. "Very well, we'll go over some of them this weekend then before we do forms."

"After that, will you teach me more magic?" Maurice asked.

"No, I think we've covered everything I wanted to cover now, other than perhaps a new form or two to challenge you," Thomas said.

"What? No more spells?" Maurice frowned.

"Maurice, you already know more than anyone else going into Hogwarts, at least as far as defensive spells go, and that's really all I'm concerned about. It won't be long before you'll be going yourself, so you can very well learn the rest in school like normal children do," Thomas said with exasperation.

"But they're not Craws," Maurice protested.

"True enough," Thomas said.

"Besides, what's wrong with a head start?" Maurice asked, his father looking at him questioningly. "Aren't Craws the Keepers of Dark Magic?"

"We were," Thomas said, gazing at him with a more solemn expression. "But that privilege and burden falls to the Snapes now. I passed it on to your sister a long time ago, when I really didn't think I'd ever have a son."

"Perhaps when I'm older, when I have gone through Hogwarts and all…"

"Maurice, the title has passed on to the next generation now, Aurelius is the current keeper," Thomas sighed.

"Whoever heard of a passing to an Auror all the known dark magic of this age?" Maurice said with a scowl.

"Actually, in retrospect, I believe it was a brilliant choice," Thomas mused.

"Not to mention to a nephew who prefers horses with horns to girls. Who do you suppose he'd pass it on to? It doesn't look like he's going to have any children of his own," Maurice said.

"A good point," Thomas agreed. "But it isn't up to us to decide anymore. Besides, you have a much more important job than he has, you know."

"What is that?" Maurice asked.

"To keep this line going, of course," Thomas said, finishing up. "To make sure we Craws aren't the last and don't die out. Your job is to grow up, find your niche in life and a girl to share it with… preferably a witch from a notable family…" he said under his breath, lowering his eyes slightly to intentionally miss Fleur's disapproving frown. "And have a decent sized family to pass down our family history to."

"Fine, but don't expect me to have the horde my sister has. Honestly, there really ought to be limits!" Maurice said, and Fleur clucked softly.

"Jennifer has a large family in part because she loves it so, and was always taught to put family above everything," Fleur said. "I have noticed she and Severus both making sacrifices to make certain their children are better off than they had been. And I see a lot of Craw values passed down to every one of them."

"Except Fortuna," Maurice said.

"That one has definitely picked up more Snape habits than Craw," Thomas agreed. "Brilliant girl, though, even if she is a bit of a spitfire."

"Well, I think it is splendid they are so willing to adopt now that they've gotten a comfortable life," Fleur protested, but then paused. "Although, I would not be surprised if they decided to have another of their own."

"Severus can't have children, Fleur," Thomas sighed. "Besides, Jennifer is much too old for that sort of thing."

"Oh? Were you not older than that when I got pregnant with Maurice?" Fleur challenged him coquettishly.

"That's entirely different. Men can get away with it. Women are usually done by that age…"

"Done?" Fleur said, putting her hands on her hips indignantly. "As in time to get a new one?"

"Don't you dare start that! Especially five minutes before my programs come on," Thomas scowled at her. "You know what I meant."

"And are you going to be done with me in five years, Thomas Craw?" Fleur pressed.

"Can I be excused?" Maurice said quickly.

"Yes," they both said quickly.

Maurice hurriedly left the dining room while the getting was good, despite the fact that it was obvious by the time he got to the back stairs that the two of them had retreated towards the basement. Shaking his head at them, Maurice climbed the stairs and shuffled down the hall.

Noticing that their houseguest's door was opened, Maurice knocked on the door. He couldn't help but hesitate momentarily when he saw the odd reflection on the wall; for although Earham was currently in his human form, whatever he was writing must have had a very goblinish tone to it for the shadows connected to the man were anything but human.

Earham glanced in the mirror and smiled a very human smile, the oddity washed away as the olive-toned man with well kept dark hair and expensive clothes focused in on the boy standing in his doorway.

"Ah, Maurice! I found some books for you… including that new Wizard MC book, although I'll never understand what is going on with children's literature these days. How does this appeal?" he asked with exasperation.

"Never mind, it's for casual reading," Maurice said almost impatiently. "Did you find anything at the university?" The right side of Earham's smile curled in complete amusement, reaching for a stack of books.

"Browning… both Robert and Elizabeth Barrett… Shelly, Keats, and Gray. There's also a collection of various poetry in there, I mainly picked it up because it had that Tennyson you were looking for, _The Charge of the Light Brigade._ That should help you get over you current fascination with American poets a bit. I am tired of you quoting Poe and Longfellow," he said, handing him the books.

"But Poe is positively brilliant! You know he's my favorite poet ever," Maurice said defensively, glancing over the books. "In fact, I've decided that when I have a son, I'm going to name him Edgar… Emily, if I have a girl."

"Planning ahead are we?" Earham chuckled. "Really, Maurice, you are much too young to be a closet case romantic. Why don't you tell your parents what you've really been reading?"

"No, Father would never understand," Maurice said, solemn and sincere. "Besides, the last time one of my classmates found some of my poetry, it was hell for weeks at school. Not that it was any good. I think my new one is better."

"Ah, the one you've been working on since the storm? Ready to be read now?" Earham asked with a smile.

"Well, it isn't perfect yet. I still have too many words in my last line for iambic pentameter," Maurice admitted.

"Well, go fetch it. Perhaps I can help," Earham said. "Really, you are over thinking your poetry, Maurice! You keep overanalyzing it and it loses its spontaneous feel at times."

"Yes I know," Maurice sighed. "Perfectionism is a Craw trait, after all."

"So I've noticed," Earham said with amusement, getting up. "But one of these days you are going to have to come to terms with the fact that poetry isn't always perfect, nor should it be. Come on, where is it?"

Maurice went down the hall to his room and Earham followed behind, watching with amusement as Maurice got out a very intricate Puzzle Box that took him several minutes to open before finally retrieving a small piece of paper and handing it to him.

"'The rain beats down upon the earth; washing away its very essence; carrying it to who knows where; while what's left battles on in stubborn resolve.'" Earham read, and then chuckled. "Well, I think it's fine the way it is, actually. Well done, Maurice."

"But what about that last line?" Maurice sighed.

"Well, it's all about how you say it. If the stress is on 'left' as I think it should be, 'While what's left' makes up the first beat, you see?" Earham said, handing it back.

"True," Maurice said thoughtfully, gazing at him seriously. "Are you sure it's all right? You're not just saying you like it because it's me and you're father's friend?"

"I swear on a pile of gold that I like it," Earham sighed, making a complex symbol that Maurice had seen him make before. "But if you want my advice, you'll take it downstairs and get a second opinion."

"No, I'd rather not," Aurelius said, putting it away.

"At least show them to your mother, although she would probably like them on principle," Earham admitted.

"Yes, well, that's true, and I'm sure being French she'd see nothing wrong with a boy who writes poetry. But she'd immediately turn around and show it to Father, and he would see something wrong with it, and I don't want him to think less of me for it."

"Now, why would he?" Earham sighed.

"Because everyone thinks boys who write poetry are ginger, that's why. Poetry is for girls," Maurice said flatly.

"Maurice, four out of the six poets you asked for are male, two married, one had a girlfriend, and both of your favorite poets from America are male and both got married as well."

"Probably a cover," Maurice retorted.

"Besides, I've liked poetry ever since I began studying it in college, and I certainly don't see anything wrong with it."

"But you are an exception to a lot of rules, Earham," Maurice pointed out.

"Yes, and if there's one thing I've learned from experience is that talents are not meant to be bottled up or hidden just because you're afraid of what the rest of the world might think," Earham said firmly. "I was abandoned by my goblin family for my talents with magic, but my father helped me understand to respect it as a part of who I am. And you need to learn to respect your talents as a part of who you are, and to hell with what the rest of the world thinks. Besides, what's the point of writing all of this if all you're going to do is stuff it in that box of yours?"

"Well, I was thinking I might perhaps try to sell them under a penname someday," Maurice said. Earham sighed.

"I suppose there is that," he admitted. "But who are you going to show them to when you're at school?"

"I'll just have to send them back to you, I suppose," Maurice said.

"You could," Earham agreed. "Although I'm hoping to get another place before too long, but we should know for certain before you go to school."

"You're moving?" Maurice said with a frown. "Not back to Heckletown?"

"No, I do not think I'd be welcome even there as a goblin these days," Earham admitted. "Cynn Brogan bought some land and is building a new house in Hogsmeade. He has offered to sell me his old one, and I'm fairly sure his house will be built before I get the paperwork to clear the parole office to change jurisdictions approved, even with both your father and brother-in-law's signatures on the thing."

"I understand father's, but why did you have to have Severus' signature?" Maurice asked.

"Because of how close it is to Hogwarts, considering part of my sentence was being banished from ever entering there again," Earham said. Maurice frowned.

"I thought Severus forgave you for all that," Maurice said.

"Forgave, yes. Wants me in his school? No," Earham said. "Not that I blame him. I never meant to hurt anyone, you know, let alone be a party to murder. And to be honest, I don't think I'll ever forgive myself for what happened to the Platt boy. It's not easy living with a family curse like that."

"It's not easy living with any sort of curse, I'd imagine," Maurice said.

"True enough," Earham said, watching as Maurice locked up his poetry once more.


	6. Impressions

Chapter Six

Impressions

Aurelius paused outside the Kingler's Café and pulled up his sleeve, glancing thoughtfully at the tattoo on his arm. It was of a quite elaborate Chinese Fireball dragon, twisted around the center design of a poisoned dragon stabbed through a heart with a name written in dark runes upon the blade. But the dragon, it seemed, was fast asleep. There was little to worry about… but Aurelius knew from his years as an Auror that there was no such thing as being to cautious. He rolled down his sleeve, and just in time, it would seem, for he heard his name called and looked up just in time to see Lucky, Ambrose and his mother step out of a nearby alleyway.

"Hullo, Rel! I didn't know you would be here!" Ambrose said as he ran up in a Muggle suit and tie, and although Jennifer didn't say it, it was obvious to Aurelius from her smile that she had been thinking the same thing.

"Yes, I came with Harry, actually," Aurelius said.

"Harry as well?" Jennifer asked curiously.

"Let's go in," Ambrose said.

"Yeah, why not?" Lucky said with a shrug, grateful for any excuse to be back in New York, even if it did mean wearing a dress.

"Actually, I'm surprised you're here, Mum, you're usually back at the school by now, aren't you?" Aurelius asked.

"Yes, I know, but I talked your father into letting me be a couple of days late so I could attend Mark's wedding. There was no way I was going to miss this," Jennifer grinned. Aurelius dutifully opened the door for her, and the two went in.

Despite the fact that the café had been closed for the afternoon, Jennifer stepped in to see Tony at his customary seat at the counter and already talking to Lucky, but he got up immediately when he saw Jennifer to give her a hug, and Sally came out from behind the bar to do the same. Aurelius wandered over to where Harry and Vallid were standing near the booth in the back corner, accepting the cup that Vallid handed to him.

"Seems to be quiet," Aurelius said in a low voice.

"There's no reason to think it should be otherwise," Harry said calmly.

"Has he even bothered looking for her since that first week?" Lunette asked softly.

"Oh, he's looked," Harry murmured. "But from what we've observed he hasn't got a clue what happened to her, and even if he did suspect that someone intervened, I think this would be the last place he'd look. Not to mention that Aurelius has this cafe and Ghent's new house tighter than a vault at Gringotts."

"Sounds like there's no reason to worry then," Vallid agreed, but then a smile crept on her face. "Of course, that's when Snapes tend to worry the most, isn't it?"

"It's not really now I'm worried about," Aurelius said with a soft sigh. "It's more about what's going to happen down the line when we least expect it, especially considering how bold he's gotten."

"Why, has something happened I don't know about?" Vallid said, frowning with sudden concern as she studied their expressions.

"Malfoy Industries has gotten into a partnership agreement with Nelson Financial," Harry murmured.

"Ah, so Nelson finally has access to some real capital, does he?" Vallid said with a dangerous spark in her eyes, Harry nodding in response.

"And Amadeus has access to a backbone," Aurelius said grimly.

"Yes, perhaps you do have some reason to be concerned after all," Lunette said thoughtfully, glancing over at where Jennifer was still standing with Tony and Sally. "All the more reason for the two of you to try to get something solid on Longbottom, eh?"

"We're working on it," Harry reassured her, and Lunette simply smiled knowingly in response, and then walked over to the others.

"Hello, Jennifer! Good to see you could make it," she smiled.

"Oh, yes, with a bit of negotiating," Jennifer said jokingly. "Are you officiating today?"

"Well, someone had to do it," Lunette said, parrying Jennifer's questioning smile with one of her own. "And Alicia is expecting again, I hear?"

"Yes, isn't it marvelous?" Jennifer said, but Lunette didn't miss the wistful tone in her voice or the thoughts behind it. Lunette decided it was best to pretend she hadn't seen it.

"And Ambrose, how are you? I hear your family has gotten a bit bigger this summer too, albeit a much older addition," Lunette said amusedly. "Congratulations."

"Thank you!" Ambrose said with a bright and sincere smile. "It's great to finally have a father! Not that I always didn't have a father, but I didn't know it then, of course, and it's much better knowing, you know?"

"I imagine so," Lunette agreed with a chuckle. "How's your summer been, Lucky?"

"Busy," Lucky said, Ambrose grinning at her. "But I'll be glad when school starts again."

"Me too," Ambrose said, but Sally had stopped in surprise, getting a good look at Lucky as if to see if she were serious.

"Did I hear that right? Lucky is actually looking forward to school?" Sally asked incredulous.

"That's good, she's too smart to let all that talent of hers go to waste," Tony said approvingly. "You've come a long way since you first walked in here, kid," he added. Lucky shrugged but gave him a somewhat embarrassed smile in response.

Just then the door opened, and Jennifer looked over in surprise to see a dark haired younger man she had never met before walk in wearing a suit and a rather sloppily tied tie.

"Hey, Carlos!" Tony said.

"Carlos, come meet some friends of mine," Sally said with a smile. "Jennifer, this is Carlos Riel, he's been helping in the kitchen the last few months. Carlos, this Jennifer Snape… you've probably heard us calling her Jackie…"

"Oh, so this is Jackie!" Carlos said with obvious recognition, shaking her hand. "Yes, they tell me a lot about you! It is good to meet you at last!"

"It's nice to meet you, and I'm impressed by anyone who is able to talk Rob out of some kitchen space," Jennifer chuckled.

"Oh, well, it didn't go without protest, I assure you," Sally said with a lowered voice. "But the doctor says Rob needs to stop pushing himself so hard and take care of himself."

"Oh dear, that is a crime," Jennifer chuckled knowingly.

"It was rough at first, but it's all over and we've become good friends," Carlos said. "As long as I don't touch his spatula or sharpen his knives, we get along fine."

"That sounds like Rob all right," Jennifer grinned.

Just then, Jennifer heard shoes on the stairs, but it was obvious from the sound it was not Rob, for there were definitely high heels involved. She looked up to see a lovely woman with thick blonde hair and a cream lace dress poking her head around the corner to see who was around. Then she brightened dramatically, ignoring Sally's protest as she ran over to give Harry and Aurelius warm hugs.

"There you are! Oh, I'm so glad you could come! It just wouldn't have been right without you here!" Jenny Hurst said empathically.

"Wouldn't have missed it," Harry said.

"You knew I'd be here," Aurelius agreed.

"Jenny, really! You're supposed to be waiting it the back!" Sally scolded her.

"I just wanted to make sure everyone was here!" Jenny pouted.

"Everyone except the groom," Lunette chuckled.

"You don't think he changed his mind, do you?" Jenny frowned.

"I'll go fetch him, Jenny," Aurelius offered.

"Oh, would you?" Jenny said. "Thank you, Rel! I don't know what I'd do without you. You're such a rock!"

"I hope that was a complement," Aurelius said as he walked to the door.

"You know it was! Honestly, you're the kindest, most generous person I've ever met in my entire life!" Jenny said sincerely.

Jennifer blinked.

"Yes, well, don't spread it around," Aurelius advised before slipping out the door, while Lunette seemed to be enjoying the expression on his mother's face.

"Hey, Jenny! Get back here where you belong. It's not time yet!" Rob barked out.

"Coming!" Jenny said with a sigh, wandering back past him, while Jennifer walked over with a smile to greet Rob.

But her smile faded somewhat when she saw him. She had known he had been quite sick that year from Sally's letters, despite Sally's tendency to only write when the worst had passed. But hearing of it and seeing it were two different things. His skin seemed paler than she remembered and much more wrinkled than before… perhaps because he had lost such a dramatic amount of weight, the pounds he had put on eating his own cooking seemed to have diminished almost entirely, and it was in that instant she regretted very much not having more opportunities to come to New York to visit over the last year.

"Heya, Jackie!" Rob said when we saw her, with that infectious smile that helped her recover from the initial shock so she could go over and hug him. "You believe this thing? Mark gettin' married, whod'a'thunk it?"

"Better her than me," Jennifer said in a low voice that made him chuckle.

"No, for you it's the Professor. Where is he, anyhow?" Rob asked.

"Oh, he had to work, you know how it is," Jennifer said. "You want to sit down for a moment and talk?" Jennifer said in a tone that made Lunette fix her attention on Jennifer again.

"Later, later we'll have time, right now, I promised to give the bride away," Rob explained, winking and leaning in the doorway. "See? Here they come now," he said, and Jennifer turned and smiled as Aurelius and Mark entered, Mark looking a bit unsteady on his feet. He exhaled loudly, earning some friendly jibes from the small group of witnesses gathered there, quickly assembling for the informal wedding.

But Jennifer found she had a hard time concentrating, for as happy as she was to see Mark finally breaking away from his past mistakes and finding a future for himself, she couldn't shake her growing concern for her friend or the harsh reminder that even if she herself hadn't aged, the world around her still marched forward at a normal pace.

* * *

She was still thinking about it later that day when she finally left her friends and dropped Ambrose and Lucky off with Sirius, taking the long way around the lake to think as she walked back to Hogwarts. It was still early afternoon at the castle, but despite this, Jennifer knew not to be expecting an escort for she had missed the normal pre-term routine briefing… not that Severus wasn't bound to fill her in when she got upstairs.

Distractedly she glanced at her watch and then decided to go ahead and drop some things off in the lab and get it set up so she wouldn't have to come back down again that evening. He would see that she was troubled, she mused, already guessing what his opinion on it would be. The fact that Rob was only about five years older than Severus was besides the point; he was a Muggle, after all, and their idea of old and what was old in the magic world was quite different, Elixir or not. At that moment Jennifer was very much feeling her age, even if she still looked to be at in her late twenties or very early thirties. She was so preoccupied that she almost missed the low, long whistle that came from behind her as she walked down the corridor.

She paused and looked behind her in surprise but didn't see anyone. She felt her neck only to realize she had on the necklace that Severus had gotten her for her birthday rather than her Snoop Chain. She backtracked a bit so she could peer down the corridor in the other directions. Not seeing anything, she reluctantly shrugged it off, glancing at the paintings thoughtfully. Nearly everyone of them was still dosing. They often did in the summer, bored as they were at having no one to look at them and no one to watch.

"Good afternoon, Professor," the portrait of a wizard with a leather skullcap and a ruffled collar yawned… a healer perhaps; Jennifer mused when she saw him. "Do you need something?"

"Oh… um… yes, would you tell Armando that I've arrived in the castle and that I've gone to check the lab and will be up in half an hour or so?" Jennifer said.

"Of course, Professor," the sleepy healer said with a nod before dozing off again.

Jennifer then turned to walk back down the hall, putting her watch away and reluctantly turning her attention to the work ahead, glad she didn't change books that year considering she had two less days to get the apothecary order together. She was so fixed on getting to where she was going and getting it don't that she completely missed the fact that the door of the Defense room was open.

"Hello, hello, hello," said a voice from just inside the door, and Jennifer looked around in surprise to see a very tall man standing there. He had shoulder-length brown hair and blue eyes and was wearing only dark pants and a dark t-shirt that rippled with muscle… so much so, in fact, that it made his top half look so much bigger than his bottom half that Jennifer wondered how he even stayed upright. "And just where have you been, eh? And why haven't I met you before? Coming in late, eh? You are on the staff?"

"Yes, but who are you?" Jennifer asked.

"Rhett is the name," he said with a smile. "I'll be the new Defense teacher. And you are?"

"Jennifer," Jennifer smiled. "Potion's Master… well, I'm sure you've already heard of me…"

"No, but I'm intrigued. Potion's Master, is it? Not Mistress? Quite progressive, aren't we? Have you worked here long?" he asked, while she gazed at him with a puzzled expression on her face.

"Haven't you talked to Severus yet?" Jennifer asked.

"Yes, on several occasions, why do you ask?" Rhett asked.

"Let's start over," Jennifer decided, offering her left hand pointedly. "I'm Jennifer Craw Snape."

"Rhett Heron," Rhett said, humoring her. "Oh, are you one of his daughters, then? He did mention he had family working here."

"He's getting even with me for being late, isn't he?" Jennifer asked with a fixed smile.

"Who is?" Rhett asked, baffled when she shook her head and turned to walk down the dungeon stairs.

Growing even more curious by her reaction, Rhett stared after her a moment and then decided to follow behind, peering into the Potion Laboratory to see her opening all the windows with a wave of the hand and them began setting up a row of cauldrons.

"Anything I can help you with? I have some time free, and I'd hate to see those lovely hands of yours getting calloused," he ventured.

"You mean like this?" Jennifer said, showing him the back of her hands instead so he could plainly see the ring on her hand, watching his face as he finally got the hint.

"Ah, I see, you're… well, I'm sure your husband wouldn't want your hands getting calloused either," Rhett said quickly.

"They have been for years, Mr. Heron, probably before you were even born," Jennifer said curtly. "In fact, even if I weren't married, I certainly wouldn't be interested in someone younger than at least two of my children, and you may as well be warned now that the majority of women in this castle are married as well. So if I were you and wanted to keep my job, I would stop before someone lets it slip to Severus that you were trying to pick his wife up!"

"Oh, you're the Headmaster's wife! His wife, well, that's very… you know, I just remembered something I needed to do, so perhaps I'll see you later on, eh?" Rhett added quickly, unable to dodge her vicious glare on his way back up the stairs.

"Honestly, as if I didn't have enough to deal with today," Jennifer said, shutting and locking the lab door before going into her office.

She had gone in to get a quick look at her potion lists from the hospital wing and student prescriptions, but instead got distracted by a very large metal case sitting on her desk, covered with locks. Realizing it was one of lock boxes from the Artifacts department, she knew before she even opened the letter that it was the items her father had wanted her to check.

Taking a moment to open her Puzzle Box and slide the other box in, she then locked her Puzzle Box and took it with her as she made her exit out the parapet door to avoid any chance of bumping into Rhett again, stepping down into the castle proper and then taking the main stairwell up. They began to swing between the sixth and seventh floors, but the moment Jennifer heard the grinding noise she had been expecting it, deftly hopping over to the staircase swinging beneath her so she could continue her walk up uninterrupted.

She heard a tsking noise as she reached the seventh floor, and then looked up to see John Carnegie busy replacing candles and filling lanterns in the halls.

"Better'na let the Headmaster catch you doin' that again, Professor Craw. Don't forget him threatenin' ta put a hex on it so you couldn't use them if he caught you hoppin' them again," John said.

"I'm sure he wouldn't really do it, John," Jennifer said, while John smiled at her dubiously. "Have a good summer?"

"As a matter of fact, it was grand to get home for while," John chuckled. "But believe it or not, after having two whole months of it instead of the old weekend visits, it was also good to get back," he said in a lower voice.

"I know exactly what you mean," Jennifer chuckled, taking a shortcut through her sitting room and over through Severus' room to find the door to the Headmaster's Study open and the curtain partially drawn back.

Jennifer folded her arms and walked in, tapping her fingers against her arm as she stood by his desk, gazing at him accusingly.

"Up here already, Jennifer? I was under the impression from Armando you were going to set up the lab first," Severus said, not looking up.

"For some reason, I decided to make a quick exit," Jennifer said dryly. "Didn't you tell Rhett when he signed on that you were married?"

"Married, yes, tell him that you were down the hall, no. How long did it take him, Armando?" Severus asked, ignoring the sour look on his wife's face.

"Oh, he was on her instantly," Armando said amusedly.

"And how long did it take her to realize it?" he asked with interest.

"Almost instantly as well, I'm afraid," Armando said almost apologetically. Jennifer stared at the painting, while Severus looked genuinely surprised.

"A fine time for you to start wising up, Jennifer, you cost me five galleons," Severus said, and Jennifer put her hands on her hips.

"Severus Snape, are you making bets against me?" Jennifer said accusingly.

"Not exactly, Jennifer. I knew you would catch on sooner or later; it isn't as if I didn't trust you to handle yourself. Do give me some credit, after all, I did trust you enough to not to give our new instructor the subtle threats I would normally be inclined to do when any new male professor comes on staff," Severus said calmly.

"Well, why not?" Jennifer challenged him.

"I just explained why not," Severus said.

"Well, yes, but…" Jennifer began, but got stuck trying to figure out a way to continue. "Actually, I rather like it when you do that," Jennifer admitted. Severus finally looked up at her, putting his head in his hand as he studied her. "The subtle threat thing, I mean, because… well, at least it shows you care, after all, and it's rather nice to not have to worry about this sort of thing… you know, Severus, it wouldn't hurt you to come to your wife's defense now and again. Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Jennifer, why is it that the moment that I think that I have you figured out, you say something that makes me wonder if I know you at all?" Severus said in a low voice. "Am I to understand after everything we've been through lately and thirty years of you constantly insisting that you can take care of myself, that now that you have me trusting you to do so, you have decided you liked it the way it was before?"

"Actually, it's a bit more complicated than that, Severus," Jennifer said.

"Yes, well, that much I can believe," Severus said, shaking his head at his wife with exasperation. Jennifer sat down in front of him, leaning against the desk herself.

"I think I know how to explain, actually," Jennifer decided, sifting through the candy dish. "Thanks to this little bet of yours. And just who do you owe money to?"

"Hermione, if you must know, although I don't see what that has to do with everything," Severus said.

"It has everything to do with it, Severus. You intentionally 'forgot' to mention me to Rhett because you thought it'd be amusing, because the truth of the matter is that you very much enjoy it anytime any other man shows interest in me because you like to watch how shocked they are when they find out I'm married to you," Jennifer said bluntly.

"True," Severus said expressionlessly, straightening his paperwork.

"Well, what I enjoy is watching how they react to me after the shock wears off, because you, Severus, are the last person anyone wants on their bad side, so they start going completely out of their way to make certain that I don't have anything to complain to you about," Jennifer said with amusement. "Only a fool would mess with the wife of Severus Snape.'  
"Also true," Severus decided.

"Well then, there you are," Jennifer with a smile, getting up. "Besides, just because I want the chance to hold my own doesn't mean I don't trust you to cover my back, Severus. I don't know what would happened if you hadn't showed up after Viviane cursed me with those visions last year."

"We probably will never know," Severus admitted with a shrug, but then felt hands on his shoulders in response.

"Now, if only I convince you to let me watch your back now that you've convinced me to let you watch mine," Jennifer said, kneading his shoulders.

"I depend on you as well, Jennifer," Severus said in a low voice. "Perhaps not as dramatically," he added dryly, "But I do. In fact, I might be willing to discuss the matter if we plan for dinner in our rooms."

"I do have a the lab to set up, Severus…" Jennifer reminded him, moving her hands over when he shifted.

"Oh, no you don't. Don't you dare try to rope me into helping you get caught up because you chose to be late so you could attend Ghent's wedding. That isn't going to work this time, Jennifer," Severus said firmly.

"Isn't it?" Jennifer said coyly.

Despite being quite resolute in that moment, Severus wasn't surprised when he found himself shoving his paperwork in a folder and heading down the Potion Lab the next morning.


	7. Attitude Adjustments

Seven

Attitude Adjustments

Mike Coventry glanced around thoughtfully as his father, brother, sister, and nanny made a beeline for Platform 9 ¾. It was different this year; the Muggle traffic seemed quite a bit lighter. In fact, the crowd normally waiting for Dale Chance didn't seem to be there, and only one bored reporter was hanging around.

"Come along, Michael," said the nanny, who had finally noticed that he was trailing behind. Of course, she was the only one who ever seemed to notice him anymore.

"Yes, Nana Lynn," Mike said, reluctantly catching up as they got to the pillar. He waited an extra minute to make sure the others had cleared before pushing his cart through himself. His father was still fussing with Don's cart, and his Nanny was brushing off Elisabeth's coat.

"Thank goodness that wasn't a trial this year!" Abraxus said. He waved his hand and held up some coins until someone appeared to load the carts for them.

"Perhaps the songbird finally hit a flat note," Don said acidly.

"Those sorts of bands never last, fortunately. I rather think it brings a bad light to the school," Abraxus said.

"You'd never know he was a Ravenclaw by the way he behaves. He seems more like Hufflepuff caliber to me," Don said.

"He's also an Owl," Beth said defensively, "and I happen to like him."

"Yeah, because you got a crush on him," Don said, making kissing noises.

"I do not!" Beth said angrily. "Father, make him stop it!"

"Now, I'm sure Beth will find someone of better social standing, Donald," Abraxus said. Beth stuck her tongue out at Don behind her father's back. "Well, you had best get on the train, I really need to go check on some of our properties! I'll see you at Christmas, and perhaps during one of your Hogsmeade trips. I want to see only good reports now, no more mischief, Donald! Be a good girl, Elizabeth! Oh and um… where's Mike?" Abraxus frowned.

"He is already on the train, Abraxus," said Nanna Lynn.

"Oh. Just as well I suppose… well, run along!" Abraxus said, helping Beth up the steps. Don came up behind them, frowning when he saw that the crowd had parted quite strangely at the next car as everyone gave an older man in a black coat a very wide berth as he escorted his auburn-haired son to the train.

"Who the hell does that kid think he is?" Don murmured, noting his father's own wary gaze.

"Goodbye, goodbye, see you soon," Abraxus said distractedly, nodding to the man.

Thomas only gave him the briefest of nods before turning back to Maurice.

"Now, make certain you mind your sister and brother-in-law, as well as the rest of the staff, Maurice. Don't forget what you do and how you behave reflects upon the whole family as well as yourself. And stop looking so nervous," Thomas complained.

"Well, you look nervous," Maurice said accusingly.

"Nonsense! A Craw is never nervous!" Thomas scowled at him. "And don't forget drop me a note the moment you get Sorted and settled."

"I don't know that I like this idea of going away to school, it's too far from home. And what if I don't make Slytherin?" Maurice asked worriedly.

"You will be brilliant no matter what house you're in, now get on the train," Thomas said.

"But won't you be disappointed?" he asked.

"Maurice, you are a Craw first and foremost and that comes before anything else, even house," Thomas said with an exasperated sigh. "Do your best to uphold our name and I won't be disappointed. Now get on the damn train," he ordered, enunciating each word.

"Fine," Maurice said, resisting the urge to look back around as he entered the car.

Sirius, who had just dropped Lindsay and the others off, paused thoughtfully when he saw Thomas standing there with a brooding expression on his face and a rather lost look in his eyes. Smiling softly to himself, Sirius did what no one else was daring to do and stepped up beside Thomas.

"So, you finally succeeded in getting one to Hogwarts," Sirius said quietly. "After having a perfectly stable and happy childhood, and growing up with a widely respected family name. A rather impressive accomplishment, Thomas, considering everything you went through to get to this point."

"Yes," Thomas agreed distantly. He then nodded, once to Sirius and once to himself as he reluctantly stepped away from the train. Then he paused one last time to look back, unable to make Maurice out in any of the cars as he thought about Sirius' words. Nodding one last time as if making up his mind about something else entirely, Thomas Apparated back to work.

* * *

Even with Severus helping her as much as he could, Jennifer was quite hard pressed to get all her potions made and paperwork turned in on time, dropping off the last of the balms on the very day the trains would arrive and had to rush to get cleaned up in time for the Sorting. But there was no way in the world she could to miss this one; for not only were they Sorting her brother, but the first of their grandchildren as well.

She sighed softly as she stared in the mirror, critical of both her appearance and her thoughts at that moment. Making a split second decision, Jennifer unraveled her hair and charmed it back into a French braid, gazing at herself thoughtfully. Then she began digging in her desk drawers and even in the bathroom before she finally discovered her one and only rouge compact and went back to the mirror to test it out.

Wondering what was taking her so long, Severus walked in from his sitting room and stopped short, staring at where she still stood in front of the mirror.

"What _are_ you doing?" he asked with a frown.

"Getting ready, of course," Jennifer said.

"For what? A debutante ball?" Severus said, taking the compact out of her hand. "You don't need that," he said, offering her a handkerchief.

"It's hardly a crime to wear makeup, Severus…"

"You have never worn makeup, except for the one time you were trying to cover up something that you shouldn't have. Please tell me that's not the case now."

"Of course not, Severus," Jennifer sighed at him. "I simply thought it'd help me look younger, that's all…"

Severus rolled his eyes and pulled her over, ignoring her protests as he rubbed off the rouge himself.

"Thirty years… I've spent thirty years hearing you do nothing but complain about how young you've looked, and I'll be damned if I spent the rest of my life listening to you complain about not looking young enough to suit you! Put your hair back up. I'm not going down there with you looking like that," Severus scowled at her, and the look in his eyes quite firm despite the slight pout on Jennifer's own as she reluctantly brushed her hair back out. "You look half your age as it is, there's not point in accentuating it any further, especially when I'm quite certain that this has less to do with how you look and more to do with you not knowing how to deal with watching your friends age, especially your Muggle ones." Jennifer frowned and pretended to be too busy putting up her hair back up to answer. "It makes you realize that even if your body hasn't aged more than a few months since Dumbledore first had to give you that Elixir to save your life, that time outside of this castle is still passing at a brutally rapid pace, and your mind feels the years even if the rest of you doesn't. Is that not so?" Jennifer closed her eyes so not to meet his steady gaze in the mirror, but she slowly nodded.

"I feel so guilty, Severus," Jennifer murmured. He gently pulled her to him, just as much to comfort her as to escape her expression.

"There is no need for it," Severus murmured quietly back. "We may have longevity, but we pay for it in other ways, Jennifer. We give much more of our lives to others than we actually leave for ourselves… as do others I can name… Lunette, for example, Rosmerta…"

"Merlin," Jennifer offered. Severus mulled it over.

"Debatable," Severus decided, earning a soft chuckle. "As debatable as my aunt, come to think of it, although I'm sure both of them would at least claim to have done so."

"Well, so has Rob, in his own way…"

"We can't help him, Jennifer," Severus said in a soft, serious voice. "We cannot possibly. It would undermine his entire life if we even attempted it. Intervening would change who he is; the man we've come to respect would be gone. Not to mention the fact that he has aged so much now that it'd simply prolong his suffering, and that's not even mentioning the legal ramifications for us doing so…"

"I don't care about that part of it, Severus," Jennifer said.

"Which is why I wasn't mentioning it," Severus murmured. "But care enough about who he is and who Sally is to let them handle his illness in their own way."

"But what if they asked us to help, Severus?"

"They wouldn't," Severus said evenly. "They wouldn't and you know they wouldn't." Jennifer turned somber again.

"Come on, Jennifer, we'll talk more of this later. We're already running late, you know, and I'm sure they're getting restless downstairs," Severus said. "After all, they're hardly going to start without me, but I would think that you would be anxious to see your granddaughter and your brother get Sorted."

"Yes, I suppose it'll be rather nice to be able to see the name Craw back on the student lists since there hasn't been one in Hogwarts since my father graduated," Jennifer said, and Severus didn't miss the sound of regret in her voice. "I wonder how long it'll be until we see the name Snape in the book again?" she added mischievously.

"Oh, no, you don't. Save it for when I have time to defend myself," Severus protested as they walked out the door.

"Why would I want to do that?" Jennifer asked with an enigmatic smile. Frowning at her disapprovingly, Severus took her arm and took a few steps down the stairs, Jennifer not even blinking when they stepped down onto the main floor landing and walked over to the back door leading to the Great Hall.

The students other than the first years had long assembled, and the staff were standing by their seats and chatting to one another. Hermione, who was standing in front of the table while talking to Rhett and Danny, paused and smiled questioningly at Severus as if wondering what had kept him. Rhett nodded politely to the Headmaster, but then turned his attention back to Danny and Sally's conversation, going out of his way not to look at Jennifer.

"Good evening, everyone. I see we're about ready to start," Severus said, and Hermione nodded and strode towards the main doors. "I assume you've had occasion to meet the rest of the staff by now, Rhett?"

"Some of them, Professor Snape," Rhett said. Taking his seat on the other side of him, Andrew offered his hand.

"Andrew Snape, Transfiguration," Andrew said. "Although the students know me as Professor Andrew for simplicity's sake."

"Rhett Heron… you're their son, eh?" Rhett asked, finally fixing his gaze back on Jennifer, but she was too busy talking to the wizened old woman beside her to notice.

"One of them," Andrew said with a grin, pointedly tapping his nose. "Actually, you're replacing my brother Aurelius, who's gone back to Auror work. Just as well. Some people just aren't cut out for teaching."

"And others are still questionable at it," Severus said warningly, but Andrew simply chuckled. He was about to ask another question but became distracted as the doors opened up and the students came in.

Jennifer lost all interest in continuing the conversation she had been having with Pomona about a strain of docile Griffonlilies she had been working on, easily picking out Maurice's hair out of group of nervous-looking first years heading up for the stool. Near the back of the pack, Natalie stood with several of her friends from Hogsmeade, waving enthusiastically at Ambrose, Lindsay and Lucky, so intent on the other students that she bumped into the students ahead of her when they stopped in front of her. Doing her best to ignore Maurice, who was shaking his head at her, Natalie focused in on the strangely solemn hat sitting on the stool in front of them.

_The skies were dark when you were born,_

_No stars could any centaurs see;_

_For the fabric of time was torn,_

_And with it took your destinies._

_But never fear, your choice is near;_

_And the choice is yours to make,_

_So just step up here, and just make it clear,_

_Which path you would like to take._

The staff and most of the students looked over at Severus, who simply squinted at it before making a subtle gesture with his hand so that Hermione would continue. Jennifer glanced at him thoughtfully, nodding to herself when she saw what was on his mind and trying to relax as Emily Applewood's name was called. Natalie, standing near the back, had all her fingers crossed in every which direction and was elated as the hat called out, "_Gryffindor!"_

Jennifer couldn't help but be a bit amused by her reaction; apparently, Natalie was quite convinced she was going to be a Gryffindor no matter what. In contrast, Jennifer could tell that her brother's thought were much more nervous, despite the fact that his face was expressionless and his eyes fixed on Hermione, knowing he would be one of the first names called. When it finally was spoken, he lifted his chin up as if cool and collect as he stepped up to the stool.

"_Slytherin!" _the hat cried out almost immediately, and a brief look of relief washed over his face before falling into a more reserved smile as he glanced up at the head table. Jennifer clapped, having a hard time keeping down a chuckle. But she shook her head knowingly as he stepped over to his classmates, who seemed just as pleased to have him as he was to be there.

"As if there were any doubt at all," Jennifer murmured softly. "That child was born and raised to be a Slytherin." Pomona gazed at her with amusement, but Severus was already looking up with interest as Darien Dalance's name was called, quite unsurprised when he went to Gryffindor.

But soon after that, Severus began to notice something quite strange. Over the countless years of sitting that table, he had picked up the knack of knowing what house a student was likely to go in from the moment they stepped up, regardless of if he had known the child or the family they were related to beforehand or not. But the last two girls he had expected to go to Gryffindor and Hufflepuff both went to Ravenclaw. Wondering if he had simply not given it much thought, he tuned out the soft murmurings of the teachers beside him, watching as a boy named Fagan went, just as he expected, to Gryffindor. Then he saw a boy whose name he didn't recognize, but whose face seemed strangely familiar; Garvan Gamban, who he had mentally decided would be a contender for Hufflepuff. But when the boy went to Slytherin, Severus couldn't help but take notice, wondering if something odd wasn't going on after all. He glanced at Jennifer, but she seemed distracted, and it was obvious why when she put her hand on his as the last name was called and their oldest granddaughter with the long golden hair stepped up, waving to them and to Andrew before finally turning and taking the stool.

"_Gryffindor!" _the hat called out within seconds, and Jennifer clapped vigorously, while Natalie practically skipped to the table and sat down by her friends from Hogsmeade, who took turns shaking her hand.

"Well, that went by rather fast, didn't it?" Jennifer said, realizing it at last.

"And what was that bit at the beginning about, eh?" Rhett asked quietly.

"A boat?" Andrew asked, trying to place the accent, but they paused when Severus called the room to order and stood.

"Good evening. I see that everyone was able to survive the summer mostly unscathed," he said expressionlessly, but got a few grins in response. "As you may or may not have noticed, we have a new Defense teacher this year, Professor Heron from Canada. He has recently been teaching at Durmstrang, and I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that is not a Truth Seeker," he added, getting a general laughter in response, especially after Professor Craw made a face behind his back. "That doesn't give you permission to torture him, however," he added, looking straight over at Don Coventry who smiled beatifically back. "Let's see if everyone can manage to escape the first twenty-four hours or so without someone brought up to my office, shall we?" he went on, glancing at Lucky who simply shook her head at him with a grin. "Speaking of which, some of you may have noticed as you came in a set of doors in the main entryway. Yes, it is a Doorlift," he said, but immediately put up a hand as everyone began to talk.

"But before you get too excited about its presence in the castle, I would like to point something out. Even though you may notice lift doors on several different floors, it makes only one stop, and that is to my office. It is there for the convenience of castle guests and staff, not for general use, and should be utilized by students in emergency situations only. In most cases if there is an emergency, you should seek out your advisors first, of course, but it is there if you need it, or if you happen to be one of the few who have been instructed to report to me over certain issues. However, since it does lead directly to my office, if you do use it for something other than a dire emergency, you'll find judgment against you will be quite swift. I trust you'll treat it with discretion. Thank you, you may begin," Severus said, sitting back down.

"Now, why didn't the school have a Doorlift when I was pregnant?" Anna asked accusingly from where she sat on the other side of Pomona.

"Exactly what I asked myself when he first decided to propose it to the board," Hermione said.

"I put it in for emergency reasons, as you well know," Severus said evenly.

"Well, during the last month, it is an emergency," Hermione said, and several others chuckled in agreement before returning to their food.

Many of the plates were very much catered to the person in front of them, while Rhett found he had a sampling of everything, but also haddock on a plate of fiddleheads and a piece of heavy bread. The only thing he was skeptical about was the reddish soup in front of him. The Headmaster and his wife had a bowl of the soup as well; in fact, Jennifer seemed to have a small portion of everything he had, although after a bite of each contented herself by eating a pita stuffed with cheese and sprouts instead.

"The soup is rather spicy, isn't it? And yet Archibald told me the food in this country was a tad dull," Rhett chuckled.

"Actually it's menudo; originated in Mexico, I believe," Severus said, nodding towards the Gryffindor table where Lucky had a bowl as well. "Our head House Elf makes it for our youngest daughter on occasion, so we've rather gotten used to it. It's made from tripe, beef in this case… or perhaps sheep… well, either way, it definitely tastes better than what I used last time."

"Oh, what would that be?" Rhett asked conversationally.

"What little was left of the last man who tried to pick up my wife," Severus said in the same casual tone, and simply taking another spoonful when everyone at the main table stopped and stared at him.

"Ah," Rhett said, resisting the urge to tug at his collar. "I believe I'll try a more conservative dish next," he said, reaching for the fish.

"That was your idea of subtle, Severus?" Jennifer murmured in his ear.

"Well, no, but probably quite effective," Severus said, taking an offered piece of pita bread before returning to his soup.


	8. Differing Views

Chapter Eight

Differing Views

The first year Slytherin were last in line as they made their way to their dormitories, which suited Maurice just as well, for it gave him some time to get organized and find mates who had been Sorted into the House and quickly made their way to his side. As they started up the hall in a group rather than a line, Maurice heard someone clearing his throat and looked over to see Garvan trying to keep up with them.

"Yes?" Maurice asked.

"Gamban," Garvan offered. "You're Thomas Craw's son? The LE Minister?"

"Among other things," Maurice said. "What school did you go to?"

"Privately tutored," Garvan explained. "And you?"

"I went Stoddard," Maurice said. "As did my mates… this is Cain Hinge, and Max Starling."

"Sounds familiar. Does your father work at the prison, Cain?" Garvan asked.

"Yeah, what of it?" Cain said defensively, but Maurice waved him off.

"Your father works for the Ministry as well, Max?"

"Fraud department," Max said.

"You seem pretty well informed, although I don't remember ever hearing your name before," Maurice said thoughtfully.

"Well, considering what your fathers do for a living, it sounds like that's a good thing," Garvan said. The other three grinned at each other with amusement then looked back at Garvan, and when their expressions neither faded nor changed, Garvan grinned himself.

"What does your father do?" Maurice asked.

"Well, he's a sort of middle man, between different parties who want to do business with each other," Garvan explained. "A terms negotiator of sorts."

"Really, do you pay a lot of attention to what he does?" Maurice asked.

"Some," Garvan said carefully.

"Let's just cut to the chase, shall we?" Max said with an exasperated sigh towards Maurice. "Have you ever read the series Wizards of M.C.?"

"Yeah," Garvan said with a grin. "I love all the Meglomaniacs books!"

"Works for me," Max said with a shrug, and when the others agreed, Garvan followed them into the Common Room of Conspiracies.

Two students stood in front of the fireplace as the others gathered around. The girl, who looked to be in her last year, still had her black hair done in tails, and she had a pretty face despite the expression currently on it. It had been caused by an overheard remark by Bindy Carr who was sitting nearby. Now that Bindy had been passed over for prefect, there was nothing holding her back from speaking her mind. But Melissa Scrub had worked too hard for such an opportunity to let that sort of thing get to her now, so she turned her attention to the door, and with a single glance sent Helena off to make sure the doors were closed behind them.

"As I'm sure most of you recall," Melissa began, looking around the room. "Last year was by far the most pathetic year we've had in a very long time. Not only did we not even come close to Gryffindor, but they managed to keep us bottled up in every sports event with the exception of a couple of individual years in sparring tournaments. And I don't even want to start on how the football season went."

"Well, it wasn't our fault!" Don was quick to chime in. "We worked our asses off to get a decent team, but you know how Lucky always gets the special treatment around here." Maurice frowned at him, but Don simply gave him bug eyes back.

"She didn't have anything to do with certain people getting thrown out or sitting out last game either. That was your own stupidity," Melissa sat flatly. Bindy refused to look at her.

"Honestly, I think the best shots we have for improvement are Quidditch and the Dueling Club," Dirk said from where he stood next to her. "Especially now with Reggie out of the way, they don't have any speed flyers on Gryffindor and Hufflepuff's no better in the Beater department. Ravenclaw will be our only competition."

"Then start studying them and finding out where their weak points are," Melissa said. "I also want to see more participation early on in Dueling Club, just in case one of you is a raw talent and we just haven't seen it yet."

"And football?" Don prompted.

"Instead of worrying so much about football, how about not tanking the Slytherin points by mouthing off this year, Coventry?" Melissa said curtly.

"It's not like I'm the only one!" Don protested.

"No, but you're the majority of it, so stop it!"

"Fine," Don said suddenly. "As long as I get to tank Lucky instead so she can't play…"

"If you make one move on my niece, Coventry, I will hang you out to dry," Maurice interrupted, his voice easily carrying over Don's.

"What? And you're gonna make me?" Don said incredulously.

"Enough! Don, I'm not warning you again. If you keep at it, I'll have you thrown out of the meeting!" Melissa snapped. Don rolled his eyes but didn't say anything. "I think if we're want to win this year, Don, the last thing we want to do is anything that is going to make the Headmaster blow craters. Like it or not, Lucky Snape's not going anywhere. In fact, you could take a lesson from her," she added. Don stared at her as if she had grown a second head. "Every time I went outside last year, Lucky was out kicking balls on that pitch. Afternoon, weekend, rain, shine, or snow, she was out there, and if you are going to have any chance of overtaking Gryffindor in that game, you and your team are going to have to practice more. She's only one member of that team, Coventry, but if our team in general is better than all the rest of their team, we have a shot. A long shot," she added reluctantly. "But at least a shot. Other than that, remember what I said about keeping your mouths clean this year, and that's it for now. Craw, if you would join us for the Tiebreaker meeting, I suggest the rest of you relax and wait for Madame Brittle."

"Wait a second! What the hell, you're not even going to let them vote for first year tie breaker, Mel?" Don asked. Melissa glanced over at the first years, and immediately they all pointed at Maurice.

"Why bother?" Melissa shrugged, pretending she didn't notice Don seething when Maurice walked past him to join the others.

* * *

Natalie wriggled her toes against the warm water bottle with a contented sigh and stared up at the ceiling.

"It is so quiet here," Natalie said for the third time, and Emily sighed.

"Not in my opinion," Emily said, pulling her blankets up over her ears.

"This really is nothing like home, and I hardly ever sleep by myself, you know. Someone always ends up waking up in the middle of the night and crawling into bed with me… usually Amber. And Hope and I used to stay up half the night talking about sort of trouble Grandmother and Grandfather were in, and now here I am… in Hogwarts… and in Gryffindor no less!"

"Natalie, go to sleep," Emily said.

"I told you I can't. It's too quiet. If only my father had gotten me an owl, but I ended up with a cat. I wonder if he has something against owls or something. I heard him tell a story once where all the owls in the entire country went mad and everyone kept getting their post lost…" she had to pause a moment, because Emily had thrown a pillow in her face. "Emily, can I sleep over there?"

"No," Emily said. "Go to sleep."

"But someone ought to have asked me for a glass of water by now," Natalie sighed, and then kicked her feet free. "I think I'll get one myself."

"Good, then maybe you'll stop talking long enough that at least I can get to sleep," Emily said grumpily.

Natalie crept to the bathroom and looked around, but didn't find a cup, so crept back to their room again. It was as she was looking around that she noticed the glasses sitting next to the water pitcher. Taking one, she crept back down to the bathroom again and got a drink from the faucet, then snuck back in and put it by her bed without even taking a sip.

But as she tried to get back into bed, she nearly sat on a huge pile of fur, for her Maine coon cat had curled up in the center of it.

"Bear! Bear, move!" Natalie whispered at him, but the cat didn't budge. She attempted to nudge it over, but the cat simply glanced at her a moment then ignored her, having no intention of losing his warm spot. She even tried to pick him up, but the large cat didn't seem to be dissuaded even then, and simply got up and plopped right back down again barely even an inch away from where he was before. Sighing softly, Natalie got into bed, managing to find herself a place around the cat and pulling up the covers. But once she finally got settled, Natalie fell asleep, comforted by her large cat's presence beside her.

* * *

Jennifer was reading in bed when Severus came in, looking up when he tiredly walked into the room.

"So? What did the Hat say?" Jennifer asked.

"I am hardly in the habit of talking to apparel," Severus said, but Jennifer kept watching him expectantly. "Fine, I may have spoken to it long enough to confirm my suspicions about the Sorting, Jennifer, but that was the extent of it."

"You mean the reference to Ciardoth?" she asked.

"No, that much was obvious, at least to me. The Hat seems to be convinced that because of Ciardoth's interference and the warping of time that the children born during that period do not have fates of their own; they're simply driven by their own choices and the fates of others around them. Because of this, the Hat decided that instead of using its own charmed judgment to discern what's best, to simply put each child into the house they wanted to be in, regardless of whether the house they wanted to be in was actually right for the child or not."

"What?" Jennifer said with genuine surprise.

"Granted, many of the students picked their houses well; the wizardborn students generally picked the house of the parent they most resembled, the Muggleborn boys seemed to favor Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, depending on the friendships they made on the train, apparently. But didn't you notice that _all_ of the Muggleborn girls went to Ravenclaw? As well as a handful of the wizardborn girls that I thought would have been better off elsewhere? My guess is they wanted to be in Chance's house, and for no other reason," Severus said, and he could see from her expression that Jennifer realized he was right.

"Oh dear," Jennifer said, thinking over the evening thoughtfully. "You know, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff always has had a tendency to have more girls than boys, so I really didn't notice it then, but now I see what you mean. I hope it doesn't cause problems."

"I would expect them, if I were you, more so your house than the rest, although there were quite a number of other students in other houses that won't be particularly happy with where they are on the long term," Severus said, kicking his shoes off and getting ready for bed.

"Then why did the Hat do it, Severus?"

"The Hat simply told me that he felt it was appropriate, and that they need to learn to live with their own decisions as quickly as possible, given their position," Severus said.

"Well, isn't it right in a way?" Jennifer asked.

"I don't have to tell you, Jennifer, that what a person wants and what a person needs are often two different things," Severus said. "By giving those first years what they want, I am afraid that some of them will not get what they need."

"Don't worry about that, Severus," Jennifer said, shaking her head. "If one of my students comes to me that I feel would benefit from seeing someone else, I'll tell them like I always have. It isn't as if it would be the first time. If you want my advice, I suggest you call the rest of the advisors in so everyone's aware of it, to put your own mind at ease about it if no other reason. That way we can keep an eye out for any potential problems."

"Perhaps I should," Severus agreed thoughtfully, lying down and waiting for Jennifer to put down her book before snuffing out the candles with a wave.

"Severus," Jennifer murmured only a moment later. "You don't really believe those children were born without fates, do you?"

"Considering I could easily make the argument that they were fated to make their own choices, no," Severus said.

"I suppose you have a point," Jennifer said, relaxing noticeably. "For a moment I was worried that perhaps the Hat was right and they didn't have one after all."

"Would it be so bad as all of that? I'd think it'd be very comforting in a way…" Severus said.

"You mean to never find a cosmic match, or even have one at all?" Jennifer asked him quietly.

"I thought we already settled that months ago," Severus murmured.

"For us, yes, but what about Maurice and Natalie and all those other children?" Jennifer asked.

"Good night, Jennifer," Severus said warningly, kissing her. "I think you have better things to concern yourself with, like your first day of classes tomorrow and that safe your father sent. Besides, don't you have an early double?"

"Thanks for the reminder," Jennifer said dryly. "It isn't in your best interest, you know."

"It isn't?" Severus said challengingly. "Can you think of a better excuse to turn in early?" Jennifer simply shook his head at him, snuggling into his side.

* * *

Lucky smirked when she saw the second years who had gotten doomed to the early double Potions, running out of the Great Hall while she took a more leisurely pace towards breakfast. But then she noticed a group of first year Ravenclaw girls standing in the corridor who suddenly stopped talking so they could stare at her.

"What?" Lucky asked when she passed by them, but they turned to each other as if they were talking to avoid talking to her. Shrugging it off, Lucky went in and sat down, wishing that Connie hadn't taken an early class. But Gary hadn't and was talking up a storm with one of the first years, so Lucky decided to sit across from him, immediately piling her eggs on her toast.

"Hiya, Lucky," Gary said, the boy he had been talking to smiling at her. "Hey, did you meet Derry Dalance last night?"

"Oh yeah, I think I've met your grandfather once," Lucky said.

"Yes, he was a Gryffindor too, so was my father," Derry said. "So you're Lucky Snape? Wow, it must be exciting having your parents!"

"Excitement isn't always a good thing," Lucky said with a shrug, "but they're okay."

"Lucky Snape?" said the boy on the opposite side of Derry. "Are you related to the Headmaster, then?"

"Ya," Lucky said.

"Wow! You look just like the girl who bloodied Dale Chance's nose in Harrods last year!" the boy said with amazement. Despite his obviously impressed expression, Lucky gazed at him warily.

"Yeah, she did, Joey. He goes to school here too, you know," Gary explained.

"That explains a lot," Joey chuckled. "Like how he always seemed to manage to get away from the paparazzi any time they had him cornered. But why'd you do it? Hit him like that, I mean?"

"It was personal," Lucky said irritably, trying to ignore him and scarf down her messy sandwich instead.

"She's his girlfriend," Gary said, and Lucky choked on her eggs.

"Really?" Derry asked with open interest, while Joey simply went wide-eyed.

"No!" Lucky protested the moment she could speak again, glaring at Gary angrily. "Of course I'm not! Don't listen to him, he's full of it!"

"Well, to hear him talk she is," Gary said unconcernedly. "See, Derry, my brother Bobby happens to be his best friend, and Bobby thinks she is. He told me that Dale hasn't even looked at another girl for months and even turned down a profitable photo shoot because he was afraid she would get mad at him again."

Lucky stood up, and Gary ducked behind the table as quick as lightning, having had years of practice now at avoiding a direct attack. Derry and Joey both looked under the table curiously to try and see which way he went, but Lucky was too busy seething to notice, kicking her way out of her seat and storming over to the Ravenclaw table.

Dale, Bobby, and Pimra were busy listening to Laura talk about the new goals she had received for that year when Bobby noticed someone approaching and tugged Dale's sleeve just as Lucky stepped up. At the other end of the table, the girls she had seen out in the hall suddenly stopped their chatting and leaned over to look at her warily, while some of other students greeted her casually. But Lucky didn't answer them. She simply pointed at Dale and then jerked her thumb away from the table. Dale quickly got up, wondering what he had done this time.

"Yes, Lucky?" Dale asked, taking a couple of extra steps backwards when he noticed nearly all the students at his table were watching them.

"Have you been tellin' people I'm your girlfriend?" Lucky asked. Dale blinked in surprise.

"No, why?" Dale asked.

"Because Gary was tellin' everyone at our table that Bobby told him that you said I was," Lucky said accusingly. Dale rolled his eyes. "I got enough problems without people spreadin' stupid rumors about me…"

"Okay, okay, Lucky, I'll take care of it," Dale reassured her.

"You'd better, before I take matters into my own hands," she said, brandishing her fist at him. "And I don't wanna break one of my goals this year already!"

"I'll talk to them," Dale reassured her again. "See you in the Owl Room at lunch?"

"Yeah, I'll be there," Lucky said, turning to walk over to the Hufflepuff table to see if Ambrose was ready for class. It was then that she saw all the vicious glares coming from the first year side of the Ravenclaw table. "What?" she demanded, but the girls turned back around again. Frowning at them, Lucky continued on her way, while Dale sat down again.

"Are you all right, Dale?" asked one of the girls at the end, despite the fact that none of Dale's friends seemed in the least bit concerned.

"Sure, Kim, why wouldn't I be?" Dale asked.

"That girl was awfully mean to you," Paula chimed in, sitting beside the first girl.

"Does she always carry on like that?" Kim asked.

"I think she should get kicked out or something," the girl sitting across from the other two said.

"Maybe someone should deck her for a change," Paula said.

"Hey, calm down, she's a friend of mine," Dale protested.

"Well, she didn't seem very friendly to me," Kim said.

"She's just a little sensitive, is all," Dale said.

"A little?" Bobby repeated dubiously.

"Speaking of which, just what have you been saying to your brother, Robert? Apparently he's decided to tell people Lucky's my girlfriend and he says he heard it from you," Dale said.

"It's not like it's news. You've been gone on her for years…"

"And you know perfectly well that she has done nothing but made it clear she wants nothing to do with me for years," Dale pointed out.

"True, although I think she's finally starting to waver a bit," Bobby mused, pausing when he saw Dale glaring at him dangerously.

"Stuff it, mate," Dale said flatly.

"Wait… let me get this straight," Kim said, looking quite confused. "Dale likes her, but she doesn't want to have anything to do with him?"

"Right first time," Bobby agreed.

"Wow, she's as crazy as she is violent," Paula said, Kim immediately agreeing with her.

"But they've been going on like this for three years now and I for one am getting tired of it. Don't you think it's high time you either make a move or give up on her?" Bobby sighed at him.

"No," Dale said evenly. "And my personal life is none of your damn business anyway."

"If you actually had a personal life, I'd think it'd be everyone's damn business, wouldn't it? You are a public figure, after all. All the more reason to give up on her, considering how much she hates it," Bobby said.

"Yes, and I think I'm beginning to agree with her," Dale said, getting up, walking to class early.

But Lucky for her part had already forgotten her momentary outburst as she followed Ambrose to class.

"I really think we ought to go with the Professor's idea of new stands for the football Pitch," Ambrose went on. "Dale already said he'd organize it this year if that's what we decided to do as our group goal."

"Like he would have time!" Lucky snorted.

"Actually, I don't think he has as many classes this year," Ambrose said. "I heard him say he didn't take Herbology or Defense."

"Well, I can see why anybody would want to drop Herbology," Lucky said, shaking her head. "But I don't get why anybody would want to drop Defense."

"He was far stretched last year," Ambrose said. "Even you must have seen that."

"Like I pay attention to Dale Chance!" Lucky protested. Ambrose didn't comment, but smiled softly as he followed her into the classroom and they took their seats in the back.

It was a small classroom, but then it was a very small class, and Lucky had noticed the room itself had gotten a repaint and better desks and a new blackboard since she had last taken Ancient Runes. Professor Snape strode in to find the class waiting quietly in their seats with their books unopened, nodding to them until he noticed the back row and stopped mid-stride in surprise when he saw Lucky sitting there.

"Miss Snape. I hope you're not expecting to get a pass on Runes II as you did Runes I," Snape said, getting an even stare back. "After all, we're covering runes outside of Britain now, and I think you would be hard pressed to memorize everything you need to memorize to pass this class within two months."

"I think I'll stick around this time," Lucky decided. Snape nodded curtly to her, then his eyes shifted to the boy sitting beside her.

"Mr. Bailey, what are you doing in the back row?"

"I'm a Tinker now!" Ambrose said brightly. "That means I get to sit by Lucky from now on no matter what, even alphabetically!"

"Oh," Snape said, grimacing at himself for forgetting. "My condolences then to the rest of my staff," he said, Ambrose and Lucky smirking at each other as he made his way over to the blackboard.

* * *

The next class for both Ambrose and Lucky was Defense, so they had to take a brisk pace down the main stairs and then down the hall to arrive on time. Dirk nodded to them with a slight smile as they came in, sitting as always in the front of the class with several other Slytherin. Ambrose waved back at him before the two of them went to the back row and got settled. He nudged Lucky then, and she looked over to where she was pointing, for there was a large crate on the floor that had an open grill on the top as if meant for a beast of some kind.

A moment later, the door of the office opened and in came a man built like a wayward lumberjack with light brown hair and dressed in a black suit with a long robe-length coat that somehow succeeded in only making him look bigger.

"Greetings, class, welcome to fifth year Defense Against the Dark Arts," Heron said. "I am Professor Heron. I graduated of the Fishanwish school in Nova Scotia, then studied dark magic under Professor Hexendaas in Durmstrang until his retirement, where I took over his post for two years. So I'm quite excited about teaching your particular year especially, because this is the year we get into Curses and Hexes, which is a special interest of mine and…" he said, pausing dramatically and smiling again. "I have been given permission to teach you a number of spells labeled as dark spells to aid your defense against them… I'm sorry, what are you doing in here?" he said abruptly, frowning at Ambrose, who blinked in surprise. "This is a fifth year course, not first year."

"I am a fifth year!" Ambrose protested. Lucky, Dirk, and several of the other fifth years immediately backed him up.

"Hm," Heron said, checking the register. "Well, I suppose I'll have to clear it with the Headmaster then, since I'm really not supposed to teach some of these spells to anyone under fifteen. But I'm sure it'll be all right, if he saw fit to let you in early," he said, but sounded so dubious that Ambrose and Lucky squinted darkly at him. "I see from your records that you did learn a very difficult dark spell last year, correct? The Life Deprivation Curse, goodness, I hope I'm never on your bad side," he said with amusement. "And so far you have covered basic curses, identifying cursed items, and all dark creatures… quite thorough," Heron said approvingly.

"So! Today, I thought I'd give you a chance to show off your skills a bit! I've brought in with me a _Canis Avernus_, member of the Barghest family, and more commonly know by you as a hellhound. No, don't worry, the container he's in is perfectly flameproof, he won't get out until I let him out. Would anyone like to demonstrate how to get past one of these… puppies?" he said with a look of amusement.

Ambrose immediately put up his hand, while the rest of the class looked completely disinterested in volunteering for anything on the first day of school.

"Someone I don't have to check some rules about first before I let do something like that?" Heron said with a thin smile, then shifted his gaze right beside him. "You there Miss… ah… oh, Snape," he said with a chuckle. "Would you care to have a go at it?"

"No way," Lucky snorted. Heron squinted.

"I beg your pardon?" Heron said.

"Get someone else to do it. I'm not going to," Lucky said.

"Surely you're not afraid of it, Miss Snape?" Heron said.

"Afraid, no, but I'm not stupid either. Find someone else or do it yourself," Lucky said.

"You see, Professor," Bindy said, making only a token gesture of holding up her hand. "You just happened to pick the one student in our entire class that flunked that suffocation spell." A few of the other Slytherin chuckled, but Dirk raised his hand, and his chin.

"I'll demonstrate for you, Professor," Dirk said evenly, earning a dirty look from Bindy.

"Thank you, no. And there's nothing wrong with not having a knack with dark magic. We all have our weak points, class," Heron chided them, turning back to Lucky. "You don't have to use that particular spell, Miss Snape. Just use whatever spell you would use if you were facing the creature on your own, eh?"

Lucky fingered her charm bracelet thoughtfully for a moment, but then shook her head.

"I can't do that either. You can't Apparate in Hogwarts," Lucky said, a few of the students sniggering again. Lucky glared at them until they quieted down.

"You're a bit young to be Apparating, Miss Snape," Heron frowned.

"I got a training license," Lucky shrugged, obviously not bothered at all that the Professor's patience was obviously running quite thin.

"Miss Snape, I am really not used to this sort of open disobedience in my classroom. Either you come up to the front and demonstrate, or you will be staying after class so that we may discuss the matter with your advisor," he said firmly.

"Okay by me," Lucky said, and Heron reluctantly pointed at Dirk to come up and demonstrate instead, as much irritated by her lack of concern as he was about her refusal to obey him in general.

He had been very much expecting her to act up again during the class as he spent the rest of the time asking the students questions on the material they had had in the past to get a better idea of their knowledge. But she answered glibly enough when it was her turn to answer and seemed content not to push her luck any further. She calmly gathered her books at the end of class and waited patiently for him to check on the still stunned creature in the cage. Then she followed him out of the room, not acting at all like a student that was in any sort of trouble.

"This way, Miss Snape," he sighed, leading her over to the main staircases, but when he started up them, she stopped cold.

"Wait, we're going the wrong way. My advisor is Librarian Boulderdash," Lucky said.

"Don't take me as a fool, Miss Snape. I know perfectly well that Madame Weasley is Gryffindor's advisor," Heron snapped.

"Yeah, but I'm in the Order of the Owl," Lucky explained, pointing at the colors around her sleeve.

"Oho, so you believe you've earned special privileges, is that it? And I was given to understand that sort of thing didn't happen in this school. I should have known better," Heron said, nudging her up the stairs.

"Okay, but don't say I didn't tell you," Lucky said, putting her hands in her pockets as they walked to Weasley's office.

She had just settled down after her own classes to grab a quick sandwich as she looked over her notes when there was a rapping sound at the door and she waved it open, blinking in surprise when she saw who was there.

"Ah, good, you're in, Professor Weasley," Heron said, waiting for Lucky to enter first before coming in.

"What, already?" Hermione asked Lucky, who shrugged.

"Professor, this student seems to have a problem with authority and following simple instructions," Heron said. "I asked her to help me with a demonstration today and she refused to do so…"

"A demonstration on the first day? Who approved that?" Hermione asked blankly.

"It wasn't a dangerous demonstration, Professor Weasley, especially not for fifth years. I heard that your Magical Creatures instructor had acquired a hellhound and he kindly lent it to me for the class…"

"Ambrose offered to demonstrate, but Professor Heron said he was too young," Lucky put in.

"Young lady, don't interrupt. Have you no respect at all for your teachers?"

"Yeah, but you haven't taught anything yet," Lucky snorted.

"All right, Lucky, that'll do," Weasley said.

"Well, it isn't my fault he wouldn't take no for an answer," Lucky complained, but Professor Weasley put up a hand and she quieted down.

"Very well, Lucky! I'll be talking to your advisor about this so don't be surprised if he mentions it," Weasley said. "Perhaps you had better head on down to lunch now."

"Yes, Professor," Lucky said almost cheerfully as she went out the door.

"What cheek that girl has! I swear, she is completely convinced she has done nothing wrong!" Rhett said, completely aghast.

"Yes, about that," Hermione said, pausing to wait for the door to close all the way. "Technically, she didn't do anything wrong, really…"

"I beg your pardon? You don't see a problem with a student refusing to do what a teacher asks?" Rhett asked hotly.

"In most circumstances, yes, but not in this one," Hermione said. "You see, one of Lucky's previous Defense professors spent most of his year here teaching them how to understand their limitations. Lucky didn't feel she could handle it, so she refused; it's as simple as that. If a student walks into a situation they feel they're going to get clobbered, more than likely they're going to get clobbered, so it's better off for everyone if you don't press the issue and move on to someone else."

"What? And have them all grow up to be cowards? I think that would defeat the entire purpose of offering the course in the first place, don't you?" Rhett challenged her.

"It's not encouraging cowardice to know your limitations, Rhett, it's simply protected them from their own bravado," Hermione argued, and then sighed. "Really, we could go on about this for hours without getting anywhere. The policy as it stands right now is that students do have a right to refuse participating in a demonstration if they don't think they can handle it, but if you have concerns about it, you can always take it up with the Headmaster."

"Who'll take his daughter's side, of course," Rhett said dryly.

"He'd take the side of any student, Rhett, that's part of the job," Hermione said with a sigh.

"Yes, well, my job is to teach Defense," Rhett retorted.

"No one is disputing that," Hermione reassured him.

"No one except that girl, eh?" Rhett said irritably. "I think I will have some words with the Headmaster about this after all," he said walking out. Hermione sighed softly, but soon pulled herself out of her thoughts and returned to her abandoned lunch.


	9. Artifact Findings

Chapter Nine

Artifact Findings

Jennifer cleared off her desk and lined up all the items in the Artifacts box, setting the stack of papers aside as she conducted some basic tests. Sighing softly at the results, she paused and got in the small pouch, gently taking out the monkey paw and rubbing her thumb against it, seeing if any of the dust came off. She inspected her fingers for a moment before holding out a magnifying glass to inspect both her fingers and the paw itself. Sighing, she then snipped off a tiny piece of the cloth wrapping the stump of the claw to inspect. A moment later, Severus strode in.

"Sorry I'm late. I had a rather disagreeable conference with Rhett after classes got out… mind if I shut the door?" Severus asked.

"No, leave it open, I'm expecting John. He's going to fix the hooks on the potion vault door," Jennifer murmured, taking an eyedropper to the cloth.

"Again? Jennifer, those hooks are made to hold, you really don't need to force them as tight as you do," Severus said disapprovingly.

"Well, I want to be quite certain that vault door doesn't close on me," Jennifer protested.

"Even if it did close on you, Jennifer, I made certain that it you could push the vault door open even if it did by some remote chance get locked while you're in there. You won't get trapped," Severus reassured her in a low voice, but knew from her dubious gaze he wasn't getting anywhere. "So how is it going? What is this?" he asked, looking at the stack of papers.

"That's Paul and Ginger's report. I haven't really looked at it yet," Jennifer admitted with a sigh. "I wanted to look at these with an unbiased eye." Severus nodded in understanding, looking over the papers thoughtfully.

"So far, they seem to match. Ready to experiment with the things you need a spotter for?" he asked.

"Yes, just about," Jennifer said, making a couple of notes on her cloth sample before getting out her wand.

Severus had learned a great deal about cursed items over the years helping his wife. Her interest in them had always driven her forward in the field; she was always excited about discovering any new or innovative way of rigging an item to do any number of vile and sometimes violent things to unwitting victims. In many ways it was probably a good thing that Jennifer had gone into a teaching career, for Severus was quite certain had she taken up a career in items as she had wanted to as a teenager, and she would have likely not been able to resist making a few wicked creations of her own that in turn would have surely taken her down a darker path in life. But at that moment, Jennifer looked quite bored with the items in front of her. Severus became much more alert to compensate, just in case there was an off chance that something unexpected might happen which Jennifer would have not been prepared for. But after twenty minutes of blazing colors from the different levels of detection spells, Jennifer finally made her last notation and pushed it over to Severus, who glanced at it without surprise.

"Identical," Severus said evenly.

"Well, I'm not surprised," Jennifer said tiredly, glancing at the items on the table as she sat down in her desk chair. "And what do we have? One Unremarkable brand leather satchel… probably one of their first models, in fact. An intricate idol made of petrified wood, charmed to have its eyes glow with fire when it's lifted, probably used in some sort of ceremony, although I don't recognize the culture. There's the Aboriginal bowl charmed with spells similar to what we now use on cauldrons, so definitely for potion making purposes. A Native American club with detailed paint, beads and feathers…I'm sure Wind Elk would know for sure which culture, but apparently it's a rainmaking device. A Celtic cross that glows in low light, a sanshin from Okinawa charmed to calm sea dragons, and a balalaika from Russia charmed to show illusions in smoke trails, probably for storytelling. Then we have this gold dusted monkey paw, which had a spell at one point but has apparently been used up; and if we trust the legends the Archives department has on file, it had a sort of wish charm on it which had been used unwisely and in the process got the stigma of being cursed on it. The residue aura of the paw is grey, which would support it being ancient magic, but really, how can we trust a legend like that?"

"We cannot, of course, without more research," Severus mused, Jennifer giving him a look to show just how nonplussed she was about that notion. "For one thing, I'm rather curious about where that idol is from, although I have an guess," he said, looking through her bookshelf thoughtfully and then pulling out a tome.

"Did Paul say anything about that gold sarcophagus?" Jennifer asked, and Severus handed over the report. "Pending?"

"Second page," Severus said, and then nodded to John Carnegie, who had knocked gently on the open door. "Come on in, John."

"Oh, thank you, John," Jennifer said with a smile when she saw the caretaker had several of the hooks in hand.

"'Tis no trouble. I've gotten into the habit of ordering extra hooks just in case," John said dryly, kneeling to take the bottom one out.

"Oh, here is the reference you were talking about, Severus. 'Did rudimentary tests upon the sarcophagus, which appeared to be uncharmed. However, I would like to note here that extensive tests were not done on either the sarcophagus or the mummy due to international artifact restrictions,'" Jennifer read. "Lovely, so we don't know enough about that one to rule it out completely. And isn't it odd that they singled it out?"

"Not really, Jennifer," Severus said. "Remember how much trouble we ran into when Thomas decided to revive his excavation business in the first place? Egypt is quite known for protecting its artifacts, magic or not. I suppose it's rather fortunate that it's the only one of these that originated from the country they were found in… this last one, I believe, is Mayan. See, Jennifer? Note the examples of similar ritual statues," he said, handing her the tome to glance at.

"It's official. Other than being in this sack, none of these items have anything in common," Jennifer said with exasperation. "They're all from different countries… I don't even think they're all from the same periods in time… and although most of them do seem ceremonial in nature, none of them have similar enchantments."

"I wouldn't say they have nothing in common, Jennifer," Severus said, perusing the book once more. "Considering the rarity of these, I believe they're all quite valuable."

"Sounds like someone lifted a museum," John said casually as he installed the new hooks. Jennifer and Severus turned and stared at him. "Your pardon, Professor, I'll be back to my duties…"

"Not at all, John, I believe you have a point," Severus said. "That would explain a great deal, actually."

"It would explain the variety, although it wouldn't explain why that satchel had been brought into the mines in the first place," Jennifer said. "After all, if you had robbed a museum, John, would you carry it around with you?" John hesitated and looked at Severus, but he gazed at him expressionlessly.

"'T'isn't really the sort of thing I would have shopped for, myself. But I'd expect a 'lying low' period filled with lovely chummy mates drunk enough tae forget you slipped out of their sight for half the night for alibis would be customary for anyone," John said. "Then, I'd tuck the baubles away until the Enforcers are off the scent and me buyers are brave enough to sell again… but no, I wouldn't keep it on my person. It might put one in an uncomfortable position."

"There is always the possibility they were using the mine as a hideout, although how the devil they got in there is a mystery. It took days to break into the mine proper when your father began excavating that area," Severus said.

"Actually, I rather had a theory on that one, although it's probably a bit far fetched," Jennifer admitted. "I was thinking that if the monkey's paw was inundated with wish magic like people believed it was that perhaps it still had some power left before they went in there. Perhaps they wished themselves to find King Solomon's mine, and it ran out of power while they were in there, trapping them."

"The what?" John said, standing up curiously, and peering on the table. Belatedly, Jennifer thought to cover it, but it was too late. "Jaysus! Oh, that be the most vile thing I've ever seen done!" he howled in utter horror and disgust. "It's beastly, that's what it is!"

"I'm sure the animal was dead well before they dissected it," Severus said innocently.

"And that is supposed to make me feel better? How would you feel if someone killed you to take your hand for such a wicked purpose? I think I'd fancy any other fate than being someone else's trophy, let alone lucky charm!" John raved.

"It's a good thing our little therapy session for your 'problem' worked then," Severus said evenly. "I could have done the same to you."

"Oh, you're very funny!" John scowled.

"Besides, all the legends say that this particular one was considered a bad luck charm, not a good one," Jennifer offered.

"Good! I hope that poor creature gets its vengeance for what someone did to it," John said hotly, picking up his tool bag. "The hooks are fixed, Professor Craw. I think I'll go find myself something more tasteful to do."

"Thank you, John," Jennifer said, waiting until he was well out of the room before breaking into a giggle.

"Well, that was rather entertaining," Severus admitted.

"I should have been more careful. I suppose it's fairly normal for an animagus to get a bit sensitive about such things," Jennifer said, putting it back in the pouch. "You'd almost think it was a human hand the way he carried on about it. I don't even think it's the same type of monkey."

"Anyway, before we were interrupted, I was about to say that I think your theory is actually rather intriguing," Severus said, Jennifer looking at him thoughtfully. "If they were robbers as everyone suspects, I could see their greed driving them to make such a request from this thing and getting trapped in the process. But first thing is first. Didn't Minister Coffer say he had record of this paw being in the country?"

"Yes, something about the early 1900's, I think he said," Jennifer said.

"Perhaps we should suggest to your father that he should run some inquiries about possible wizard led museum robberies in that time period," Severus suggested.

"Probably a good idea," Jennifer agreed. "But in the meantime, I think I'm going to go to Africa this weekend," Severus squinting in response. "Father wanted these items check thoroughly, Severus, and I can't say it's thorough until I've seen that gold sarcophagus. I'm going to go down there and see if I can't talk them into letting me run some tests on it, or at least give me information on what they've found out if anything."

"Oh, very well, but you should bring someone with you as a spotter in case they do actually let you see the thing, which I highly doubt," Severus sighed.

"All right, Severus," Jennifer said, carefully putting the items away. "I'll mention it to father, maybe he'll want to come or send someone down."

"Sounds reasonable, considering it's his business, and not ours," Severus said evenly. Jennifer smiled knowingly at the reminder.

"Family is my business, Severus. You should know that by now," Jennifer said, picking up the Puzzle Box to bring upstairs with them.

"Yes. Now I know we're in for it," Severus said dryly as the two of them walked out of the office.

* * *

Rinan Scur was a swindler, a scoundrel, and a cad; by his own admission as well as accusations. He was not necessarily a smart man; although brilliant in his own fields, and he walked with a cane now having acquired a hobble in recent years. Jennifer knew very well that anyone would be a fool to underestimate him from his weathered appearance. He was a dark wizard of the old school; and not someone to be trusted lightly or completely. But the old wizard was also quite loyal to Thomas Craw, which was one of several reasons that Jennifer had no objections when her father suggested she bring him along. He also knew the ins and outs of negotiating through the Department of Magical Antiquities, and was one of the few people that Jennifer had ever heard of who had managed to keep his licenses after being in and out of jail on several occasions.

Jennifer paused to take a quick translation potion as they went into the office building, pulling at her collar a bit from the warm air while Rinan led them through the halls, darting in and out of corridors until Jennifer wasn't sure which direction was which. He turned down a hall that looked to be a dead end at first, but as they got to the end, Jennifer saw an open doorway, hidden as much by the angle and the statues in the halls as it was by magic. Behind a desk sat a tall, thin man who glanced at Rinan with a rather annoyed expression.

"Good morning, Adel. I'm here with Professor Craw to see the councilor, he should be expecting me," Rinan said casually.

"He isn't in," Adel said evenly.

"He isn't?" Rinan said with feigned surprise. Jennifer studied him curiously before glancing back at Adel.

"No, but I've been instructed to let you see that item you requested to see," Adel said evenly. "You know, you're lucky you sent a tube when you did. We were about to send that sarcophagus to the main council."

"Really? That convinced it isn't magic, eh?" Rinan mused, glancing at Jennifer who was watching the man carefully.

"Yes, very much so," Adel said, getting in the desk drawer for a set of keys and walking them to a back room. It had only a large stonework table as its only furnishing, other than a shelf of wooden boxes. Adel took out a large crate and lifted the sarcophagus out of its plastic wrapping.

"Do you have any list of what's already been tested?" Jennifer asked.

"Not one that we can give out, no, but I can assure you it was quite thorough," Adel said, apparently somewhat offended that she would even ask.

Jennifer quickly put on her gloves, lifting off the lid and setting it on the table, frowning when she saw it was empty.

"Where's the mummy that was with this?" she asked.

"Who knows," Adel shrugged, but then paused. "Oh, you mean the one that was with the sarcophagus when it came in, don't you? That one wasn't authentic."

"It was a fake?" Jennifer frowned, subtly casting a series of detection charms.

"Well, it was a real mummy of sorts, just not one of ours," Adel explained. "It didn't go with the sarcophagus it was in at all, rather I think they were put together hoping that no one would notice, but Egyptologist would be able to tell on sight that the weave of the fabric used was too modern, even after it had obviously been aged. Our feeling that it probably was someone's university project at some point, created to get the feel for how they might have been made in the past."

"I think that would fit with your theory that these may have been stolen from a museum, Jennifer," Rinan mused. "It may have been put together or donated for display."

"Yes, that would make sense," Jennifer agreed. "Do you know if this particular sarcophagus has ever gone through the office before?"

"Not from what we've been able to tell, nothing matching this particular name or time period, but that's really not all that unusual, especially if this has been buried as long as the report indicates. Grave robbers were quite rampant in the nineteenth and early twenty centuries, which one of the reasons is why the Antiquities Service was formed in the first place, to stop all that nonsense. Not that it didn't still happen, both back then and now, although the penalties have grown quite stiff," Adel said expressionlessly.

"Well, I believe we're about to follow up on this museum theory," Jennifer decided with a sigh. "If we find anything leads us to believe it was originally removed from the country illegally, I'll send you a note." Adel smiled thinly.

"Thank you, Professor. It is refreshing to meet someone so honest in this day and age," he said, darting an almost accusing glance towards Rinan.

"Honesty is overrated," Rinan grunted.

"Thank you for letting us in to see it," Jennifer said, ignoring the comment. "And please let the councilor know that I am sorry to have missed him."

"You're awful polite for a Craw," Rinan murmured critically as they worked their way back through the corridors.

"That's because my father has sense enough to marry women that have qualities he lacks," Jennifer retorted with a thin smile. "Besides, just because you happen to be blackmailing the head of magical antiquities doesn't mean I have to act cross to them," she said, Rinan squinting at her. "Well, why else would Adel have thought that the councilor was out just to avoid having to talk with me?"

"You're also too clever for your own good sometimes," Rinan added irritably.

"Well, I didn't pick up all my traits from my mother, you know," Jennifer chuckled as the two of them left the building.


	10. An Untimely Accident

Chapter Ten

An Untimely Accident

Severus had been getting ready for a board meeting when Jennifer had returned. He listened intently to everything she had learned in Egypt as they went back to her office so she could repack the items in the security case and finish up her notes to send back with it.

"At least there wasn't a fight over letting you in to see it," Severus said when she had finished.

"Yes, well, apparently, Rinan has something on Councilor Moussa, that's how he's been able to keep his licensing over the years," Jennifer said.

"I suspected as much, actually, although I imagine were there anything truly significant found about the sarcophagus, you would have had difficulty seeing it, blackmail or not," Severus mused.

"I suppose you have a point," Jennifer admitted. "And it does prove Father's insistence that Geffard didn't die by an item… at least, not by one of these… and it further backs up John's idea that perhaps these were museum pieces."

"Then all that's left to do is to return the items and report your findings to your father," Severus said calmly. "And our interference in the matter is done, and we can move on to more important things, correct?"

"Oh, well… yes, I suppose," Jennifer said slowly, Severus frowning at her. "Although I did mention to Rinan that I might be willing to help him try to come up with a list of likely museum robberies that happened in the right time period…"

"Jennifer, how would you feel about organizing OWLS two years in a row?" Severus interrupted.

"Oh, honestly, Severus!" Jennifer protested.

"Yes, honestly," Severus said, a look of warning in his eyes.

"Besides, Severus, it didn't keep me out of trouble last year, so do you really think it would make a difference?" Jennifer challenged him. Severus paused.

"A valid point," Severus admitted, Jennifer flashing him an triumphant smile. "Although I would like to make one of my own. Sorting through old papers and old criminal records for hours on end in the Ministry basement isn't really your favorite chore, especially considering how closed off that room is… and considering the following your father has had over the years, perhaps it'd be better left to someone with more inclination and better suited to do so."

"Who? You?' Jennifer asked with surprise.

"Hardly funny. I don't have time to chase old newspaper clippings. Really, Jennifer, you have done your family duty and done your part as an item expert, leave the rest to the others, you have better things to do," Severus advised, but Jennifer didn't miss the pleading look buried beneath his scolding expression.

"All right, Severus, you're right, of course," Jennifer said with a sigh, gazing at the monkey paw pouch one last time before throwing it in and sealing the box. "Besides, I really should be doing research on Muggle doctors instead, shouldn't I?"

"Muggle doctors?" Severus repeated with a frown.

"Yes of course, Severus, in case we do decide to try and have another child," Jennifer said. "Don't you think under the circumstances it'd be prudent to look into it all to make a fair decision on it?"

"Jennifer…"

"At the very least, I should probably make an appointment with Sagittari and see what he thinks of the idea, shouldn't I?"

"Jennifer!"

"Aren't you late for a board meeting, Severus?" Jennifer interrupted, and rather than finish what he was going to say, expelled the deep breath he took and gazed critically between both his watch and his wife. "Better get going, Severus, tick, tick, tick," Jennifer said slyly.

"Tick, tick, tick," Severus said unenthusiastically, shaking his head as he walked out the door.

Jennifer waited until he was well away from her office before she chuckled softly to herself, and then locked the items in her Puzzle Box, placing the entire thing in her cloak pocket. Tossing it on a hook, she quickly went over her supplies for the next day of classes so she wouldn't have to go back down to her office again that weekend. Noting which ingredients were missing for her demonstrations, Jennifer pulled open the potion vault and hooked the door securely back with every intention of grabbing the ones she needed and get out of there as quickly as possible.

But when she got to the last ingredient, it wasn't where she had thought she had put it. Sighing with annoyance, Jennifer began to dig through the shelves, knowing she would have at least kept it in the general area. She shoved a row of sleep sand to the side as she tried to get a look behind it, but as she was peering at one of the labels, it suddenly grew dark.

Hitting her head on the top of the shelf in surprise, Jennifer immediately panicked, scrambling towards the door to push it open, knowing that Severus had put safeguards on the door to make certain it could always be opened from that side.

But the door didn't budge.

Her wand blazed to life as she lit up the room, focusing her attention on the door with every intention of blasting it open, forgetting that the seals on the vault put there to help prevent accidents would deflect most of her spells. She began beating on the door and trying to yell through it, but who would be anywhere near that part of the dungeon on a weekend?

"Craters!" Jennifer cussed, attempting to keep herself calm despite the fact that the room was already starting to spin. She turned back into the room very much wishing she hadn't put down her cloak as she quickly looked around. "Fine, I'll brew something. I can manage a quick acid, can't I?" she said, pushing back her fear as best she could.

Emptying out a phial of one of the more harmless ingredients, Jennifer quickly transfigured it into a small cauldron and began pulling items off the shelves, dumping them in as she found them and then casting a spell on the cauldron to make the outside metal blazing hot. Reassuring herself that it would work and that the mixture was doing well, Jennifer reached up for the last ingredient to throw in.

But as she pushed some phials aside to get to it, one went toppling off and straight into the cauldron, and Jennifer cried out in dismay as it began to fill the vault with smoke. Coughing, she somehow managed to get a box of Alchemist's Cloth open and futilely put one over her mouth, for she had already breathed in quite a bit of the fumes, and under the circumstances, she didn't think it was going to be enough.

* * *

In the library storage room that also served as the headquarters for the Order of the Owls, the students of the order had assembled for their weekly meeting to vote on their goal for the year. Every hand went up almost immediately at the mention of the football stands; for they had all had to sit on them at one time or another, sometimes with splinters left as a reminder that they were little more than a pile of scrap wood.

"The good news about this project is that it won't cost anywhere near what the fountain did, and I've already secured a builder who's agreed to donate the work for free," Dale said. "In fact, I think those of us inclined to that sort of thing should pitch in so they can be done all the faster… it'd be great if we could get them done and serviceable before the spring season. We'll still have to run a fund raiser or two, of course, but we should be able to manage it in time."

"I don't mind pitching in some free labor," Bobby agreed.

"Sure, why not? Anything to get those fixed," Lucky said with a shrug.

"We shouldn't have any sort of trouble getting donations, I wouldn't think," Ambrose grinned. "Anyone who has ever sat in those seats would probably be willing to chip in for it, maybe we should just have an old fashioned charity drive for it."

"What? Beg for it?" Dirk said with disgust. "Really, with the mixed sentiment on whether or not Hogwarts should even be sponsoring such a sport, I'd rather not. It'd be like going door to door and have half of them slammed in one's face."

"I think half is probably exaggerating a bit," Laura said.

"Yes, but all the same, he has a point. There are still a lot of students out there who don't want to have a thing to do with the football crowd," Helena admitted with a sigh.

"Yeah? Well some of us aren't partial to Quidditch either," Lucky said irritably. "But if we took up a collection for that, I'd probably pitch in."

"Yes, well, there's the rub, because a lot wouldn't do the same for football," Beth said. "There are a lot of wizardborns who have absolutely no interest in it, and before you say anything, it's not just in our house, either. I've heard students from other houses saying that the school would be better off just concentrating on Quidditch. And considering a lot of them also think that the Headmaster will stop supporting it once Lucky graduates, they're not going to be inclined to donate, are they?"

"What?" Lucky said, looking quite angry, but she also noticed that everyone else had grown somber. "Has anyone else heard people saying this?" she demanded, but was not encouraged by the fact that no one else would look her in the eye… even Ambrose had his eyes on the table to prevent himself from looking at her.

"Look, Lucky, we've all heard it," Lindsay said with a sigh. "But it's rubbish, really! After all, Professor Snape didn't start the football program, my mother did, remember? And Madame Brittle has supported the program from the beginning, so I very seriously doubt it's going anywhere. Don't let it bother you," she added, despite the fact that she along with everyone else at the table knew that it would.

"Well, I think instead of worrying about those who've made up their minds not to support us, we should concentrate on the ones that do support us," Dale said, and then snapped his fingers. "I have an idea, how about we sponsor a sort of weekend soccer camp? We'll set up training areas on the pitch for different techniques and any student who likes can pay a small fee and we'll teach them some basic skills. It'll not only wean out any how don't have an interest in it, but it'll also encourage more people to get involved in the support who might have been on the fence about it and raise money at the same time. Especially considering between us we have all the major skills… Lucky can teach shooting, I'll do goalkeeper, Ambrose and Dirk can handle defensive maneuvers, and Gary and Bobby dribbling and offensive techniques, with the rest filling in as needed."

"Well, I'm sold on the idea," Connie said, some of the others agreeing with her. "But we'll have to sell it to the Headmaster and Madame Brittle as well, you know."

"I'd be willing to speak to Madame Brittle about it," Dirk ventured.

"And I'll speak to the Professor," Dale said with a nod.

"Well, now that that's settled, I was wondering if the Gryffindors had been giving any thought to who they want as a new member this year," Ambrose said.

"It's still early," Lucky shrugged. "I haven't thought much about it yet."

"Me either," Gary agreed.

"Well, I have a suggestion. Why don't you invite Natalie?" Winnie put in.

"Yes, that's a great idea!" Ambrose said enthusiastically.

"I think that'd be splendid," Lindsay agreed.

"She's a nice girl," Veronica said.

"And quite enthusiastic," Laura said with amusement.

"Hey! We're the Gryffindors here, it's our decision, not yours," Lucky scowled at them. "Besides, she's too popular! This is a group for outsiders, not main stream."

"So what you're saying is that your niece isn't weird enough to be here?" Bobby taunted her. Lucky stared fixedly at him for a moment.

"Yeah," Lucky said flatly, and the others laughed and began trying to coax her into changing her mind, despite her folded arms and stubborn expression.

Suddenly, a screeching noise pierced the air over their banter and they all looked around, finally focusing on a painting of a witch reading to a group of very young children. They had all looked up with their hands over their ears to see that a figure who didn't belong in the painting was standing there intentionally screeching the violin in his hand.

"An emergency?" Ambrose asked, and several of them jumped up as the portrait of Severus began making movements with his hands.

"Professor Craw's office…" Connie said, studying him carefully. "Potion closet…" she gasped. "Professor Craw's trapped in her potion storage vault!"

"Wait, Lucky!" Dale said as Lucky charged out the door, following behind her.

"What do we do?" Delia asked anxiously. "We should tell someone! Find someone who has a key!"

"Professor Snape can get in, but I don't think he's here at the moment, or the portrait wouldn't have come to us," Dirk said. "Maybe the hospital wing?"

"Or maybe Mr. Carnegie," Laura said. "Let's split up, we can cover more ground that way. If I'm not mistaken, Lucky is going to have a hard time opening that door, even as talented as she is."

It didn't take long for Lucky to get down the back staircase once she got there, diving into the laboratory and pushing the open office door wide so she could get in, first giving it a good tug.

"Wait, Lucky! It could be dangerous…"

"I don't care!" Lucky snapped, pulling with all her strength before finally putting her hands on the door, closing her eyes.

She did her best to calm herself down, attempting to picture the magical lock into her mind and break it down into ones and zeros, when she realized that the exceptions were connected to one another in multiple pathways and it was going to take a long time to track down a spot she could actually break… perhaps too long, she realized in a panic, but she had no choice but to try. Meanwhile, Dale was noticing an odd smell, and looked around, wondering where it came from, until he noticed a broken glass phial on the floor that had spilled a thick black substance around the bottom edge of the vault.

Dale heard footsteps and looked up to see Mr. Carnegie at the door.

"Mr. Carnegie! Do you have a key?" Dale asked.

"That would be Doctor Sagittari's department," Carnegie said, looking at the door as if trying to think of a way to take the whole thing off. "Are you sure she's in there? This door is designed so it'll always open from the other side."

"Yes, but look down here!" Dale said, pointing out the phial. "It looks like it was bumped off the shelf or something…" Carnie knelt down to test it.

"Definitely sealant…" Carnegie said and began going through the phials, quickly reading them. Dale jumped in to help him find something to dissolve it. He finally found something that Carnegie thought would work and Carnegie poured the mixture over the sealant. It quickly dissolved, and the caretaker stood up and began banging on the door.

"Professor Craw! Professor Craw, try the door!" Carnegie shouted.

"Can she even hear us?" Dale asked.

"I don't know," Carnegie said, then grabbed another potion off the shelf and drank it. "But it would seem that Miss Snape has the right of it. We need to force it open."

He waited for the telepathy potion to begin to work before putting one hand on the door and the other on Lucky's shoulder.

"Don't be alarmed, I'm simply using a potion to get a look at what you're doing, Miss Snape," Carnegie said. "Ah, I see! You're going to need to use a different technique than that for this sort of lock, I'm afraid. There isn't a weak link where there's a simple yes or no, you see."

"Then how do I fix it?" Lucky asked, obvious strain in her voice.

"By adding rather than trying to alter or subtract," Carnegie suggested.

Lucky frowned at the complex matrix in front of her, attempting to understand. But somehow when he spoke, she also got a picture in her head of what he had in mind, and even noticed that he was altering some of the lock himself. Taking his lead, Lucky began doing the same, adding to what was already there in a way that it changed the definition of the formula itself, able to pick up the speed faster and faster as the two of them got into a joint pattern.

Finally the door seemed to release and the caretaker pulled it open, a waft of smoke coming out. A dark look came over Carnegie's face when he saw it, and Dale cried out in dismay when he saw Professor Craw unconscious next to the door, looking quite grey, an alchemist cloth still in clutched in her hand.

"Jackie!" Lucky said, but Carnegie wouldn't let her go in.

"Away from the fumes, Miss Snape, we don't know what was in there," Carnegie snapped, kneeling beside her a moment. "Her breathing is shallow, I'll take her upstairs… Mr. Chance, stay by the door, don't let anyone in until Professor Snape arrives!"

"Yes, Mr. Carnegie," Dale said as Carnegie picked her up and carried her out with Lucky right on his heels.

Dale sighed, looking around at the pieces of shattered glass left over from the sealant. It could very easily have fallen off, he reasoned to himself, especially the way she stocked those shelves. And perhaps the hook slipped off somehow, he mused with a frown. But why did he get the strong feeling that there was more to it than just a string of bad luck?

* * *

From the moment Severus stepped in the room, he could tell that it was going to be one of those meetings. In fact, he could have already guessed it was going to be a headache. Finnegan had left the board last year, leaving his reformist slot open for grabs, and Severus couldn't help but wonder how Stella Bulstrode Hauk was going to vote. She was, after all, youngest in a family of traditionalists, a Slytherin through and through, and yet both Tonks and Erik jumped at the nomination as if she were a reformist. In fact, many other more likely and perhaps more qualified candidates had been passed and she was chosen on the sheer weight of the fact that both factions seemed to support her. Still, she had inherited well, and their contributions to the school were well known to the board, which had in turn contributed to their joint support of her taking the seat.

Severus remembered her as a fairly bright and yet reserved student during the last years he watched over Slytherin house… he shook off the memory, for that the same man who was her husband now had been the final straw to him stepping down from that position, and it wasn't exactly the most pleasant time in his life. Would she follow her family's leanings towards traditionalism as Balmweed and the others obviously hoped? If so, it was bound to be a very long year; for nothing ever seemed to get done when the board had an even number of each.

As Severus came in the room went quiet, despite the fact that it was obvious that there had been some sort of heated argument going on just before he had knocked. In fact, Eric was standing looking to either side of the table at Abraxus and at Tonks; Tonks, in fact, had her wand hand at her side as if trying to decide whether or not to flatten him.

"Good evening," Severus said, gazing at Tonks questioningly, but she simply nodded and put her hands back on the table. "I hope I'm not late."

"On the contrary, you're just in time," Eric said quickly. "Shall we start with your report, if you're ready?"

"Not there's much to report a week into school," Severus said, but handed over a scroll case. "There are no surprises in the budget. In fact, you'll find that we should actually manage to stay well under it this year, now that everything is running smoothly with the Muggle Studies farm. There were also no major book changes this year either, other than the ones for our new professor's agenda…"

"Ah yes, the bright young man of Durmstrang fame… how is he getting along?" Eric said, and Severus found himself wondering why he asked it like that.

"Considering I've only known him for a few weeks now, I can hardly judge, although his planned agenda does more than live up to his reputation, and he seems to be a capable teacher. I suppose we'll see by the holidays," Severus said noncommittally.

"No problems then?" Eric asked.

"No, not really, other than the typical new teacher adjusting to a new environment sort of thing, nothing that won't correct itself over time," Severus said with a shrug. "Any particular reason you're concerned?"

"I'm not if you're not," Eric said with a shrug and was about to continue when Norman let out an annoyed sigh.

"Actually," Norman interrupted, before Eric could move on. "We had a rather curious query from your new professor last week inquiring about certain school policies concerning discipline in the classroom. When I asked him why he was asking for the clarification, it was made obvious to me, although he was reluctant to talk about it, that he felt that one of his students seemed to be 'above the rules,' so to speak."

"Norman, since when does the board deal with such petty disputes? Hermione handled the matter that very day and explained our policy as far as demonstrations in that class were concerned. At his insistence, I myself had further words with him over the matter, and to be candid, I see no reason for it to have gone any further," Severus said firmly. "Such disciplinary and policy issues are my affair, not yours."

"I quite agree," Eric said.

"Well, I don't," Norman said. "I very much think it is our affair when it involves your daughter, considering she obviously has disciplinary issues and yet always seems to get away with things…"

"Considering that my daughter was well within her rights as a student, I don't see how who she was has anything to do with it," Severus said curtly. "And I have no intention of changing that particular policy, so I don't see how it's any concern of the board's."

"And what if all the students take her example and decide not to cooperate in classroom demonstrations as well?" Abraxus asked.

"Then I'm sure it'll show up in their marks," Severus said evenly. "Now, can we move along?"

"Yes, let's, although I doubt our next topic will go any better," Eric admitted. Norman and Abraxus both giving him a dirty look, while Severus frowned suspiciously. "Abraxus, since this latest proposal is your idea, why don't you tell him about it?"

"I don't think we need to discuss that with him now, Eric, unless we actually do vote it in," Abraxus said under his breath. "We've only just now started discussing it."

"I very well think he has the right to know what you want us to vote on beforehand," Eric said firmly. "We're going to either start discussing the matter now, or you're going to drop the proposal entirely."

"Do you mind not talking through me while I'm in the room?" Severus snapped.

"You've done it to me often enough," Abraxus said evenly. "But if you must know, I have proposed a small addendum to the hiring policies," he explained, Severus immediately squinting, "simply stating that the Headmaster may not hire a family member as faculty without first consulting the board." Severus stared at him.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Well, Severus, many of us think that the school would benefit from a more… diverse faculty… from various backgrounds, experiences, and so forth," Abraxus explained. "You, however, tend to mainly hire your own relatives."

"I hire whomever I feel is most capable for the job! And I'll have you know out of the three members of my family currently working at Hogwarts, it was Dumbledore who hired both Jennifer and my sister, and I hired Andrew to his position only at Dumbledore's recommendation," Severus said. "And I don't particularly see how who a candidate is related to should matter when I'm considering one's merits and how or even if they would be an asset to my school!"

"I notice you didn't mention the hiring of your other son, Severus," Abraxus said.

"He is not teaching this year, Abraxus, and even if he were, he was more than qualified to teach, especially in Defense considering his true profession. Come to think of it, I didn't originally hire him, either. My wife hired him when I went on leave, and he was willing to step down from head of the Auror Department to do so."

"I rather think his reasons behind his leaving the department were due more to the fact that his father was running amuck at the time rather than a willingness to teach," Abraxus said curtly.

"Didn't we decide we weren't going to bring up those rumors anymore, Abraxus?" Eric interrupted disapprovingly.

"The point is," Norman interrupted, "that we simply want a chance to go over any candidates who are related to you with an unbiased eye, for the school's sake."

"There is nothing unbiased about this proposal," Severus snapped. "Unbiased would mean looking at a person based on their qualifications, without any stigma attached because of their family background!"

"You tell him, Severus," Tonks said supportively, until she saw Eric giving her a dirty look.

"But don't you think there ought to be a limit, Severus?" Norman said, raising his voice over hers. "We simply want the opportunity to addressing certain matters, considering the complaints we've been getting towards favoritism over the years, and concern that perhaps that favoritism also spreads to decisions you make concerning staff issues." Severus squinted.

"Exactly what are you accusing me of?" Severus asked bluntly.

"Me? Nothing," Norman said calmly. "Although I have heard others mention that they believe that family members on your staff tend to always get the better end of any deal involving faculty disputes."

"If you heard anything at all to that effect, Norman, I am quite confident that it did not come from my staff," Severus said firmly, and then glanced at Abraxus. "And anything a student may have overheard was more than likely taken out of context."

"We simply want to make certain that the school is your first priority, Severus," Abraxus said.

"Abraxus, just because you have always made work your number one priority and constantly put your needs over those of your family, it doesn't mean the rest of the world works that way," Severus said, and Abraxus darkened noticeably. "I do not deny that my family is my first priority; but I have also always felt that the school and everyone in it as extended family. I will continue to do what I feel is best for both, just as I have always done."

"Well, almost always," Abraxus added in a low voice, and Severus locked his jaw.

"Severus," Caitlyn Shea said, and Severus slowly looked towards the woman whose expression was serious. "Let me be frank, since it's obvious that everyone else seems to be having trouble acting with proper restraint tonight," she said with a sideways glance at Norman and Abraxus who both seemed to settle back in their seats. "To be honest, I really don't agree with either of them as far as their reasons why they want this addendum passed. You're always going to get the occasional accusations of favoritism as far as younger relatives are concerned, and I imagine that won't stop anytime soon considering your brother is already there and how many grandchildren you have coming. And I also don't think you show undue favoritism towards your family concerning the school, either; one look at Jennifer's official school records easily discounts that," she said with a momentary look of amusement.

"But I was more than a bit concerned last year when the school had three of its major subjects being taught by your family, Severus, I'll admit it, especially when it came out that Aurelius had gotten hold of Excalibur and was making efforts to return it. What if there had been a major family crisis? You would have lost professors in three subjects taken by the majority of students, plus yourself, as Headmaster, plus your sister, and although she doesn't teach a major subject, she still teaches a class that is required for everyone to take. How would the school function if all of you needed to attend a family emergency?" she asked. The soft sound of a knock on the bottom of the table could be heard from her seat. "I wouldn't wonder if the school had to shut down and cancel classes until it was over, and that, Severus, is what worries me most, and why I might support this movement." Severus could see Shaun and Dana, the other two traditionalists, nodding out of the corner of his eye.

"I seriously doubt that any crisis would occur that would pull us all out of the castle at once," Severus said. "However, were that to happen, let me assure you that my Deputy Headmaster is more than capable of handling such an event, and I am quite certain that between my resources and hers that the school will continue as it always has. And if for some reason a crisis affects both my family as well as the school itself, we'll do whatever's necessary to put things right, just as I always have done in the past. Regardless of those concerns, I still see no need for you to prejudice my family for being born a Snape, not that any of them other than Andrew have really shown any true interest in teaching as a full time profession, nor do I expect there will be any for some time to come."

"Then why fight it, Severus?" Norman asked with a sigh.

"The principle of it," Severus said curtly. "So long as the candidate is qualified and agrees to the morality clause, it is my place to decide who my faculty will be, not yours. Your hiring includes only administration, although I am wondering since you seem to be questioning my hiring judgment whether or not you will be reconsidering my position next."

"There is no danger of that, Severus," Eric said firmly. Even Norman turned quite somber at that, having no inclination whatsoever to change Headmasters. In fact, the only person at the table who seemed even remotely in favor of the idea was Abraxus. "Perhaps it's time we moved on from this discussion until we've had time to mull it over and think about it clearly without the tempers."

"If you're simply stalling in hopes that we'll drop the matter, it isn't going to work this time, Eric," Abraxus said firmly.

"Did you have anything else you wanted to bring up, Severus?" Eric asked, ignoring him.

"Yes, actually… um… I'm sorry, where did that copy of the budget I handed over go? I was wondering if we could go ahead and go over the payroll allowance, for there are a couple my faculty overdue for a raise, considering the hours they've been putting in during recent years, and I'd rather get that approved so I can take care of that…"

"Ah, so that's why the budget is in order this year, to attempt to prove to us we have enough money to pay for your roof?" Abraxus asked. Severus gazed at him with such a piercing expression that Eric felt his skin crawl.

"Neither of them are relation," Severus said curtly. "And for the record, I personally gave up asking for raises a long time ago, considering how much of my money ends up going right back into the school. I'd much prefer keeping the budget versatile and tuitions as low as possible."

"Yes, well, you really need to get out of the habit of dipping in your coin pouch so much and come to us if something doesn't fit into the budget, Severus. I swear I get an earful about that from Griphook every time I'm at the bank," Eric chided him gently as he looked over the scroll, while Abraxus shook his head.

"Perhaps I would, if I ever thought any of them would ever pass," Severus said evenly.

Just then there was a very insistent knock and the door opened, Harold Gimler peering in.

"Your pardon, governors, but there's an urgent message from the school," Harold explained, holding a note out. Severus blinked in surprise and then took it. He read it and quickly folding it up, resisting the urge to grab his pocket watch.

"There has been an accident in the school concerning one of the staff, and I need to leave at once," Severus said, putting the note away.

"Family member?" Abraxus inquired.

"Regardless if they are or not, they are still staff!" Severus barked angrily, his patience completely gone. "If you want to question my intentions any more, it'll simply have to wait until next meeting. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

"We'll have any suggestions or recommended changed to the budget finished and sent to the school tonight, Severus," Eric said firmly, ignoring the dirty looks he got from the rest when they realized they were going to be there for a while, emergency or not.

Severus simply nodded curtly and went out the door, Harold shutting it behind him. By the time Harold turned back around, the Headmaster was already gone.


	11. Taking Precautions

_A/N Sorry about the slow update this week, next week's may be too. The reason being; the devil in the details. I'm about ten chapters ahead at this point, but I have paused to do some research and double-check my facts to make sure everything is in line so that you will have a consistent story. After I'm done, however, it is more than likely you'll be getting 2 or more updates per week. Thanks for being patient! JCWriter._

Chapter Eleven

Taking Precautions

When Severus arrived at few seconds later in the hospital wing, every window was open, and a crisp breeze drifted in from the mountains. Sagittari was standing next to a counter mixing up a decanter, which Severus realized was heart's ease balm. In the middle bed of a long row of beds, Jennifer slept, looking quite pale.

Severus silently went over and held her hand for a moment, but despite her pallid appearance and cold hands, she seemed to be breathing normally in her sleep. He glanced at his ring and saw it was grey from stress, but no other colors penetrated the surface, so deep was her slumber.

Sagittari moved up to the other side of the bed and poured the decanter into a glass bowl, a sweet smell drifting out accompanied by the familiar prismatic specs of light that danced on the liquid's surface, along with a sound very much like a glass wind chime off in the distance. He paused a moment, watching her face, and then glanced the pocket watch around his neck, gently holding her wrist a moment before glancing at Severus and stepping back to the other side of the room. Severus quickly followed him back over, looking much more anxious than he had intended.

"Well?" Severus asked in a low voice.

"She will be all right, Severus," Sagittari said with a nod. "She had the sense to grab an Alchemist Cloth when a potion she was brewing to try and get out went amiss, and fortunately, Fortuna and John were able to get the door open before she breathed in too much of the fumes. Considering at the time I was looking after a patient in the Dark Forest, it is just as well that they had. In any case, I'm keeping her tonight simply for observation, although to be frank, I'm much more concerned about personal trauma over the event more than the fumes themselves. She will more than likely have a bit of a relapse as far as her claustrophobia is concerned. In fact, she wouldn't even consider going into the back room, Severus, she wanted to be out here where there were more windows."

"How did she get stuck in there in the first place? That door isn't supposed to lock from the inside," Severus said.

"John believes it was due to a sealant which seems to have dislodged from the potion shelf and got around the door seal," Sagittari said. Severus squinted. "I believe he's down there now, attempting to figure out how exactly it might have occurred."

"I should go down there, then. Will she be asleep long?" Severus asked.

"A couple of hours, I have it timed so she'll be awake long enough to eat dinner and so that I can make sure there aren't any other ill effects," Sagittari said.

"Then I shall be back," Severus said, striding out of the room.

Sagittari watched him go thoughtfully before turning back to her patient, feeling her hands before attempting to cover them, unsurprised when she had them back out again a moment later. Sighing softly, he went over to the windows and tried to close several of them. But in the little time it took for him to walk back to the counter, the windows had all slowly opened on their own, despite the fact that Jennifer was still very much asleep.

* * *

When Severus slipped downstairs, John was indeed still there with gloves on and his face quite intense as he carefully inspected the hook. When he heard Severus behind him, he looked up and his face changed to take on a more thoughtful and yet tired expression.

"Ah, Professor, 'tis grand to see you back," John said sincerely.

"Checking the hooks?" Severus asked.

"I've been checkin' everything," John said. "From the hooks to the shelves that the sealant fell from, identifying spells, dusting for fingerprints an' all. I even had Mr. Chance stay guard when I got your missus to the hospital wing to make sure nothing got tampered with."

"John, I think you're as paranoid as I am," Severus said, inspecting the door. John smiled thinly.

"Courtesy of life's little lessons, Professor," John said. "To be frank, it didn't feel much like an accident to me. The circumstances seemed a bit too convenient," he said, but then shrugged. "Still, it is possible 'twas just a string of bad luck. The shelves are organized in such a way that things tend to get pushed to the side, and it might have been clipped by the hook as it passed…assumin' a'course, it wasn't fastened properly, as unlikely as that would be considering who was doing the fastening."

"Is it at all possible it came off on its own?" Severus asked evenly.

"Aye, but the chances of it are about the same as the chance that the one potion on that shelf that could have sealed the door was the one that happened to fall off in the exact spot it needed to be to do the job," John said, Severus frowning at that. "On the other hand, what else would it be but an accident? I doubt anyone could just walk in the castle as they please without notice, unless it was a student intending a harmless prank that went further than they intended." Severus thought of that and looked around, then happened to notice his portrait sitting on his stool, but his attention was fixed upon the two men talking in the room.

"Did you see anyone enter that shouldn't have been here?" Severus asked the portrait, who shook his head in response. "Then how did the door get shut?"

The portrait frowned and shook his head, holding two open hands side by side. Severus glanced at the vault door thoughtfully.

"I believe he means he can't see it at his angle, Professor," John said.

"Yes, I see that now," Severus said, then walked over and stood against the wall to get as close to the painting's view as possible. "Nor can he see all that far out the door. Someone standing well back of it could have gotten a spell off from there."

"Perhaps Witolf saw something?" John suggested.

"I highly doubt it if the door was open," Severus said, but went out of the room to speak to the door guard anyhow. "Did you happen to see anyone or hear anything suspicious come into Jennifer's office just after I left this afternoon?"

"No, Severus. Not until the young lady and her beau came in," Glen said.

"No, I didn't think so," Severus mused, then did a double take. "But Irwindale is _not_ her beau." Glen simply smiled with amusement, an Severus opened the door back up so he wouldn't have to look at him and stepped back in. "Nothing," he said.

"Perhaps it was just an accident then," John said with a sigh.

"Yes, just as Scarlett's death was an accident," Severus said, "and Geffard's a mere coincidence… despite the fact that, curiously enough, all three of them have the same thing in common in that they ran tests on those items."

"Then perhaps that monkey's paw is cursed after all," John said. Severus said nothing in response. He simply looked thoughtfully around the room.

"I think I'd feel better if I made some changes to this office," he said at last, "accident or not. And I think I'm going to have a word with Thomas about this as well, just to be safe. If anyone asks, this was just an accident, but keep your eyes open for anything out of the ordinary in the castle," Severus said.

"So you don't believe it was an accident at all?" John inquired.

"No more than you do," Severus agreed, walking him out of the office.

* * *

Jennifer was sitting up and gazing wistfully at the two covered plates by her bed when Severus came in. She immediately brightened, the smile on her face having a bit of embarrassment mixed in.

"I wondered when you were going to show up. Sagittari seemed quite convinced you would be here, although I'll admit I might have enjoyed second helpings," Jennifer said.

"You probably would have," Severus said, shaking his head at her. "I've actually been back. In fact, I left the meeting the moment I heard, I've simply been reorganizing your office while you've been sleeping."

"Putting the sealant as far away from the door as possible, no doubt," Jennifer said.

"Actually, I decided just to move the entire shelf," Severus admitted. "In fact, I rather rearranged the entire office… hungry?" he added, using the plates as a distraction.

"It was just a silly fluke accident, Severus," Jennifer said with exasperation.

"Humor me for taking precautions against it happening again," Severus said.

"Well, I have the perfect solution for that," Jennifer said. "I think we ought to take the door off the potion vault." Severus stared at her.

"That vault has been charmed to keep those ingredients in a climate controlled area, Jennifer, taking the door off would rather defeat the point of putting it in there, in fact it saves the school a great deal of money replacing ingredients that went bad prematurely, as you'll recall."

"Speaking of which, were you able to get Danny and Sally their raises?" Jennifer asked.

"We didn't get that far, and I'll thank you not to change the subject," Severus said. "I will make whatever changes you feel are necessary to the door to make you comfortable with using it other than taking it off. Perhaps we can even put a painting in there as a sort of back door in case of emergencies." Jennifer frowned deeply. She did not like the idea of ever getting stuck in there again. "I suppose I should be quite thankful that my boast that Fortuna and John combined couldn't open that door proved to be false."

"So was your boast that it wouldn't lock on me," Jennifer said dryly.

"It wasn't locked, Jennifer, simply stuck," Severus said, but Jennifer looked no more reassured than before. "In fact, had you been able to put that powdered acid together, I'm quite certain it would have been able to dissolve the sealant that had fallen so you could have gotten out on your own."

"I can't believe I knocked a jar of giant squid ink into my acid, what could have possibly been worse! It was like everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong in that five minute time period," Jennifer said.

"Not entirely, Jennifer, they did get you out before you got into any real trouble," Severus pointed out.

"Good thing our daughter's luck is strong enough to trump it, I suppose," Jennifer said.

"You know perfectly well she makes her own luck, Jennifer," Severus chided her. "She's simply brilliant enough with numbers that she can appreciate statistics and random variables and uses that knowledge to her advantage… the same math skills that helps her open doors, come to think of it."

"Well, if you take off the door, it'll save you the trouble of having to try and come up with a new one to try and thwart her again," Jennifer said.

"Actually, I've rather decided to try a new tactic as far as that's concerned. Fortuna has come a long way from when we first found her, after all, even that phony tough girl act has waned in recent months… at times it disappears completely. I believe she's finally at a point where she can discipline herself."

"Well, she has been working at it at least, most especially after what happened last year, Severus," Jennifer pointed out.

"Precisely," Severus said.

* * *

The next morning, Lucky knocked on the Professor's sitting room door and it immediately opened for her so she stepped in, closing the door behind herself. Severus was sitting near the table with the Sunday _Daily Prophet._

"Is that coffee?" Lucky asked in a way of greeting. Severus gazed at her critically.

"We really shouldn't humor that habit of yours," Severus said with a frown, but Lucky simply grinned and poured herself a cup. "It isn't good for a girl your age to be drinking so many stimulants, especially with your temperament."

"Aw, this is nuthin'," Lucky snorted. "In my old neighborhood, we used to drink expresso so thick I don't even think it qualified to be called a drink any more," she said, Severus grimacing with obvious distaste at the thought of it. "How's Jackie?"

"Well enough, Doctor Sagittari should be releasing her shortly, as a matter of fact," Severus said, folding his paper. "He only kept her to make certain she had no side effects from the potion she botched while in the vault, but I do not think there were any, thanks to your and Mr. Carnegie."

"It was mostly him," Lucky shrugged.

"He may have suggested a new tactic for you to use, but you're the one who came up with the solution," Severus said. "I don't believe he would have understood exactly what you were trying to do had he not taken that potion, really. Carnegie doesn't see locks broken down into mathematical formulas like you do; to him, it's more a mechanical problem, he sees the physical elements rather than the esoteric parts of the spell like you do. At any rate, one of the things I wanted to speak to you about this morning is the fact that in lieu of what happened, I've decided to stop attempting to outwit the two of you as far as locks in this castle are concerned and I'm simply going to trust the two of you to keep your noses out of places they don't belong and take responsibility if you don't."

"You can't make a door that I can't open, huh?" Lucky asked smugly.

"On the contrary, there are ways using ancient magic I could do such a thing, but then I'd be the only one who would be able to open it, which if nothing else, this incident proves it would lead to disaster. I would much prefer to simply know that the two of you can open it and simply know better than to do so," Severus said.

"Like your bedroom door at home?" Lucky said daringly.

"Exactly," Severus said, frowning at her obvious amusement. "But don't you dare let me find you in there short of an emergency… either place, come to think of it… or the staff library…"

"Okay, okay, I get it already," Lucky protested.

"So how are your goals going?" he asked.

"So far so good, but I think the one goal of havin' to go all year without decking someone is stupid," Lucky said, eyeing him. "It was you who put that one in there, wasn't it?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Severus said expressionlessly.

"Don't give me that, I know it was you," Lucky accused him, loading up her pancakes.

"You're under no obligation to achieve any goal on that list, you know perfectly well," Severus said, watching with disgust as she then poured syrup on top of her eggs and picked the entire thing up to eat like a sandwich. "On the other hand, perhaps I should have suggested you brush up on your table manners instead."

"Now that I wouldn't agree to," Lucky said with a smirk. It was obvious that at that point Severus would have come back with some sort of threat or ultimatum had the door not opened just then.

"Good morning," Jennifer said in a singsong voice, and in such a good mood that Severus couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at it.

"You okay, Jackie?" Lucky asked.

"Better now, thanks to you and John," Jennifer smiled. "But don't let me interrupt your breakfast, I really need to go get cleaned up before I do anything else today." Severus gazed after her thoughtfully as she went into the bedroom and closed the door. Then he glanced over at the windows, noticing they had all slid open on their own.

"She seems okay," Lucky said again and shrugged it off, going back to her breakfast. "Anyhow, was there anything else you wanted to talk to me about, or was that bit about the doors it?" she asked, hoping to dissuade him off of commenting on her eating habits again.

"Actually, there was one other thing," Severus admitted after waving all the windows shut. "The main thing I wanted to speak to you about, in point of fact, is about that incident in Defense."

"Oh yeah, I wanted to talk to you about that too," Lucky admitted. "Like how come you didn't mention to Professor Heron about my problem?"

"Your gift with fire you mean," Severus said.

"Okay, my problem gift," Lucky said diplomatically. "The problem being I can't defend against it…"

"You can, Fortuna, you simply need to use unorthodox methods," Severus said.

"And I couldn't do that in class without outing myself," Lucky said.

"Yes, I know. You had no choice but to refuse, and I thank you for being able to think on your feet and keep that situation from getting more out of hand than it became," Severus said. "Professor Heron may have come at the advice of someone I trust, Fortuna, but that doesn't mean I'm willing to take a risk at telling him that sort of personal information to someone we know little about. Considering your studies are mainly on dark curses, this shouldn't have come up, so there was no reason to take that sort of chance."

"There are some dark curses that use fire too, you know," Lucky said quietly.

"Yes, and you have been taught alternate solutions to each of them, have you not?" Severus said. Lucky frowned and nodded slowly. "Yes well, as long as you know it and I know you know it, that's all that matters," he said in a lower voice. "I'm going to be up front with you, Fortuna. Mr. Coventry has been doing his best to make life miserable for me at an administration level, so if you could do me a favor and keep things as civil as possible this year… and by that I mean both with students and professors alike, I would very much appreciate it."

"And what if they're the ones refusing to be civil, and for some reason I can't avoid it?" Lucky asked.

"Find me," Severus said.

"But what if you're not here?" Lucky pressed.

"In which case, you'll simply have to use your best judgment," Severus said with an exasperated sigh. "I'm not suggesting that you don't defend yourself if needed, Fortuna, far from it. I am simply asking if you get into a situation where you know it can be avoided by taking another route, do so, for both our sakes. I don't know about you, but after what all of us have been through the last few years, I'd rather like to get through this one as painless as possible, and I'm sure you do as well, do you not?"

"Yeah," Fortuna sighed, topping off her coffee.

"Good," Severus said, turning to his own breakfast. "When you're finished with that, you can go, unless there's anything you want to bring up while we're at it, since I doubt we'll have another chance to speak on this level for awhile."

"Well, yeah, there is one thing," Lucky admitted, pushing aside her plate in favor of her coffee.

"Oh?" Severus asked warily, wondering if it had to do with Dale.

"It's about that question you asked me a couple of years ago. I've been thinking about it a lot lately," Lucky said, getting a baffled expression in return. "I guess you don't remember, huh? It was back when you had left the school and I didn't know what to call you. You made a suggestion, and I told you I'd think about it."

"I do remember that now," Severus murmured thoughtfully.

"Yeah, I never brought it up after that because you came back," Lucky admitted.

"And back for good," Severus said evenly.

"Yeah, I know," Lucky said. "But I also know you'd rather keep your personal and professional lives separate."

"As much as possible, yes," Severus said. "Although I've found it's gotten harder over time to truly keep them as separate as I would like, which probably hasn't made life any easier on you, either."

"Eh, I don't mind," Lucky shrugged. "Anyhow, what I was trying to get at was that I thought I'd cut you a break, that's all, about the Professor thing."

"What do you mean, exactly, by 'cutting a break?'" Severus frowned.

"I meant like outside of school," Lucky said. "I'll try and get used to calling you Dad or Father or whatever if you call me Lucky, that's the deal. Take it or leave it," she said, shrugging again as if completely unconcerned about it. "But if you leave it, you're the Professor for life as far as I'm concerned. It's okay, I don't mind. I like your professional side so I can live with it."

"Oh? And you can live with me calling you Fortuna the rest of your life then?" he challenged her, still expressionless despite the faint hint of amusement in his tone.

"Naw, I'll just wait until I've turned eighteen and moved out and get my name changed when you can't do anything about it," Lucky said. Severus squinted.

"It isn't actually a fair deal then, is it?" Severus said flatly.

"Sorry, it's the best I got. But I won't take it personal if you can't handle it," Lucky said, looking out the window with disinterest to avoid meeting his gaze.

"Deal," Severus said at last. "But I reserve the right to slip up now and then, and of course all bets are off when it's school business."

"I guess I can live with that," Lucky decided. "So what should I call you, anyhow?"

"Whatever you feel comfortable with," Severus suggested. Lucky thought about it a moment, frowning.

"Comfort isn't the point," Lucky said.

"No, I suppose not," Severus agreed as the two of them stacked their dishes onto the tray.


	12. Unofficial Investigations

Chapter Twelve

Unofficial Investigations

When Jennifer arrived in her office the next morning, she couldn't help but stop short and stare, for Severus had moved much more than the shelf. In fact, nearly everything had been rearranged except for the lab portion of the room, which had simply been reorganized neatly; only the portrait of Severus above the mantle hadn't been moved.

"Well, this will take some getting used to," Jennifer murmured out loud, wondering where her floor mirror went. Instead, there were several large wall mirrors placed on the wall opposite the portrait, as well as a small one on the wall adjacent to the door. "How odd," Jennifer said, and then noticed that Severus' portrait was looking at her through the mirror, pointing down at something. Curious, Jennifer turned around to see that he was pointing to a note card on the mantle itself. "'Please don't move the mirrors. Severus,'" Jennifer read out loud with exasperation, glancing up at the portrait who smiled thinly at her in response. "Ganging up on me this time, are you?" she asked, and he signed back, despite the fact that Jennifer was simply watching his face. "Preventative measures? Well, I'm going to do some preventative measures of my own. I don't care what sort of 'safety' features Severus has put in, I am not going in that potion closet until that door is removed," she said firmly.

The portrait simply looked back at her dubiously, but Jennifer wasn't about to argue the point. She poured herself a glass of milk and went over to the window to open it, although strangely enough, it was already open. Shrugging it off, Jennifer got ready for her first class.

* * *

There could be no doubt at all that Dale Chance was the most popular boy in school. But if there were a clear runner up, Maurice Craw had quickly earned the title in the short two weeks that they had been in school. It wasn't enough that he was incredibly good looking; every first year girl in Slytherin had been going out of their way to try and catch his eye, and even some of the second years. It wasn't enough that he had inherited his father's unshakable charisma, as well as a touch of Veela that helped him coax his friends into favors they might not have normally done for anyone else. But to top it all off, he was the Headmaster's brother-in-law, and that sort of thing hadn't happened in hundreds of years. But Maurice took his immediate fame with the dignity of a Craw, quite relaxed and comfortable with his ever-increasing circle of supporters, including both prefects.

"I doubt we'll have to worry about first year," Dirk had said casually to some of his friends at breakfast. "Only a fool would go against a Craw in anything, and no one can mistake how well he handles it… a natural born leader, that one."

"Give me a break, his father is a murderer," Don snorted, completely unimpressed by the new addition at the end of the table."

"Long pardoned, Donald," Dirk reminded him. "He's been LE Minister for ten years now, and one of the best, by all accounts."

"Ironic, isn't it? Considering he killed the minister's father? Or do you suppose Craw simply did him a favor?" Don snorted. Suddenly, Don realized that most of the upper classmen had gotten quiet. "What?"

"We don't make accusations of former Slytherin, Don, whether we care for them or not, I'd think a Coventry would know better." Dirk said quietly. "And considering both the LE minister and the Minister of Magic both graduated from this house, and both with honors, I suggest you stow it."

"Big deal. Voldemort graduated Slytherin… 'with honors' as well, and you don't hear anyone stowing that," Don snorted.

But at the mention of the name, several of students got up at once, and after a quick glance towards Melissa, Dirk then gestured towards two of the boys who stood.

"All right, Coventry, back to the common room," said one of them as they stood to either side of him. Don snorted.

"I'm not done yet," he said.

"That's what you think," said the other, and the two of them pulled him to his feet by the arms, ignoring his protests and wailing as they dragged him towards the back door.

They paused only a moment when Madame Brittle came in and asked them a quick question, but after one of the boys answered, she stepped aside and let them continue, shaking her head as she went to take her seat, completely ignoring the wailing threats from Don of all the things he was going to tell his father. At the other end of the table, all of the students around Maurice had paused to watch, while Maurice was futilely attempting to mind his own business.

"What do you suppose that was all about?" Cain asked.

"Knowing my brother, he probably said something out of line to one of the prefects again," Beth sighed. "You'd think he would have learned not to do that by now."

"Never mind that," Garvan said, waving it off. "Did you find out anything about why Professor Craw was in the hospital wing this weekend?"

"Some," Maurice nodded. "I was able to corner my niece in the library last night, and she said that she had gotten trapped in the Potion Vault in her room."

"Is that all?" Max snorted. "I told you it was nothing, Maurice. They would have told you if it was serious."

"It might have been," Maurice admitted. "From what Fortuna told me, she had been exposed to some fumes and was knocked out when they found her, and the door had sealant around it… supposedly having fallen from a nearby shelf."

"Supposedly? You don't think it was an accident?" Garvan asked. "Sounds like nothing but a bit of bad luck to me."

"Maybe it was the curse," Cain said. "I heard that Professor Craw had been testing some artifacts, and one of them was supposed to curse anyone who handles it with bad luck."

"Now how could you have possibly heard that?" Maurice frowned at him. "I know I didn't mention it."

"So there is a cursed item in the castle?" Max asked.

"No…" Maurice sighed at him, but then paused. "Well, I imagine there are some, but my sister isn't stupid enough to handle a cursed item like that, she's one of the country's leading experts on them. But you didn't answer my question, Hinge."

"Simple enough answer. I saw it in today's _Oracle,_" he shrugged, pulling out the paper. Maurice took it from him and stared at the headline in disbelief, then glanced over to the Gryffindor table.

"Someone else needs to see this, there's no way this should be public, especially not this soon," Maurice said, glancing over to the Gryffindor table. "Anyone here think they can smuggle this to my niece without every eye in the room turned in their direction? I know I can't."

"I can," a voice said from the other side of Beth, and Helena got up and plucked the paper out of his hand, rolling it up tightly. "Be right back."

Helena hurried over to where Connie and Lucky had rolled up their sausage and eggs into their toast and were eating them in unison, holding the paper out to them. Connie looked up in surprise, half of her eggs falling out into her plate.

"Special delivery, this morning's _Oracle,_" Helena said. "There's something in there you need to see, Lucky."

"What would we need to see in there? You know what sort of trash is in it," Connie snorted.

"Well, this time it seems they have the inside scoop," Helena said, handing it to Lucky. She no more opened the paper that her jaw dropped.

"What the hell?" she said, and Connie leaned over to see the headline of _Famous Hogwarts Professor Injured! Accident, or Curse? _"How in the hell did they find out about it?"

"Who all did you tell about it, Lucky?" Connie asked.

"Only the Owls and Uncle Maurice, and he wouldn't tell," Lucky said.

"He's the one who had me bring this over to you," Helena protested.

"But that would mean it'd be one of us," Connie said worriedly.

"Yeah, and I know the biggest mouth here," Lucky said, glaring at the Hufflepuff table where Delia sat chatting with Ambrose and Winnie.

"Now, let's not jump to conclusions. It really could be anyone," Helena said seriously. "I'm going to go back to our table and make sure it isn't one of the Slytherin," she said, walking back over.

"Well, it wasn't me," Gary said, pulling the paper down so he could see the article from across the table. "I don't even know anyone who works there, and we definitely don't read it at home."

"Listen to this," Connie said. "'It is rumored that before the accident that Professor Craw had been testing certain items found by Craw Industries just before the occurrence. One of which being the infamously cursed monkey paw, which was reported by the Archives department as having been recovered over the summer."

"I don't remember you mentioning a monkey paw," Gary offered.

"Yeah, but I mentioned she'd been looking at items and I told you about what happened to the other two guys," Lucky said. "Anybody could've gone to Archives knowing that to fill in the blanks. I gotta talk to the professor. He's probably wondering where the leak's coming from."

"But we don't know for sure it's us, it could have been from somewhere else, Lucky," Connie said. But Lucky shook her head.

"It's one of us. Come on," Lucky said.

"We'd better rush then, or we're going to be late for our first class," Connie said. They dashed up the back stairs, the two of them arriving at the spiral stairs quite out of breath.

But fortunately, the door was open, and the Headmaster glanced up thoughtfully from his work when they stepped into view, glancing at the clock.

"School business, I assume, Miss Snape?" the Professor said.

"Ya," Lucky said, walking up and putting down the paper. The Headmaster picked it up and looked at it, letting out a sigh, and although it was obvious he hadn't seen it yet, it was also obvious that he wasn't surprised either. "I think we got a leak in the school, and I think it's probably somebody in the order."

"Yes, I know," Snape mused.

"You know?" Lucky repeated with a frown.

"Something came up last year in the press that we traced back to the Owls as well," Snape admitted.

"What? That's it, I say we kick Delia out now and save us a headache," Lucky scowled.

"You forget, Miss Snape, that she knows your other secret as well," he pointed out. "I would think that it would have come out long ago if she were the weak link, so to speak, unless there's something going on rather than someone willing to give out information."

"You mean someone could actually be doing it unintentionally?" Connie frowned.

"Professor Craw and your advisor have been watching all of you carefully since the matter first came up, and have not detected any thoughts, behaviors, or unusual patterns that would indicate that anyone is doing it intentionally."

"Well, you could've warned us," Lucky muttered.

"Actually, I have. I've warned both you and Ambrose to keep your secrets close at hand on several occasions," Snape pointed out. "And I suggest you do so… and I suggest also that is the _only_ action you take. If you begin pointing fingers, we may never find out who's behind it, and I would prefer you not turning on the order as it is. In fact, if you do start going for each other's throats, I will probably disband the order, considering that goes against every reason I had in actually going along with its existence in the first place. No witch trials, is that understood?"

"Yeah, I get it," Lucky sighed, and Connie nodded as well.

"Good," Severus said, quickly signing a pass. "Thanks for bringing this to my attention, however. You should get back to class now and let me deal with this."

"All right," Lucky said, taking the pass before the two of them walked out and towards the back stairs.

"Are we really going to let him handle this?" Connie murmured to her.

"Yeah," Lucky said with a sigh. "It's okay, I think we can trust him with it."

"Now, there's a switch," Connie teased, following her down the stairs.

* * *

The moment that the first year Slytherin-Gryffindor Defense class got settled in and roll call was done, Maurice raised his hand. Not that him raising his hand was all that unusual; he did it many time in the course of the class period. What was unusual about it was the fact that Professor Heron hadn't said anything, so there couldn't have been anything he said that Maurice wanted to correct. Deciding that he was probably safe to call on for a change, Heron sighed and asked him what he wanted.

"Do you know much about jinxes?" Maurice asked evenly.

"Jinx is just another name for a curse, actually…" Heron said. "Typically, a jinx refers to a curse that inflicts its victim with bad luck, or it refers to the victim of a bad luck curse. Although really, all curses are based on causing some sort of misfortune on one's victim, wishing ill on another, so it boils down to the same thing… you'll study it in later years, although you'll learn some basic preventative measure in this class by the end of the term, never fear."

"I didn't mean to imply that I was wondering when we were going to learn about it," Maurice said. "I was asking just how much _you_ know about that type of curse. Is it an effective curse? How does one tell the difference between coincidental bad luck and the curse itself? Or is the advantage to that spell simply that it is hard to tell where it's coming from?"

"Ah, I see, you've read those silly rumors in the paper about Professor Craw, eh?" Heron said with a thin smile, while Maurice gazed back at him fixedly. "Well, not to worry, Mr. Craw. From what I hear, it was nothing but an unfortunate accident. In fact, as I understand it, the items were found to be safe and were sent back to the original owner, so you see, the matter is closed."

"Well, it will be closed if anyone is stupid enough to try and pull an 'unfortunate accident' on my father, at any rate," Maurice said, several of his friends nodding to him knowingly.

"I'm no more interested in your family gossip or suppositions any more than I am in newspaper speculations," Heron said disapprovingly. "So shall we turn out attention back to the chapter on wand protection? After all, your wand is your greatest asset."

Maurice raised his hand again, and Heron simply let out a short sigh.

"Actually, I was always taught that the mind is the greatest asset you have to defend yourself," Maurice said.

"In that case, you won't mind if I continue the lesson," Heron snapped at him, and Maurice reluctantly settled in for the class, attempting not to show his utter boredom in the subject matter.

Natalie glanced at him sympathetically, knowing full well just how tedious that class must have been to him. In fact, there were certain times, especially that first week, that even she had trouble keeping herself from giggling. For the first chapter on 'why learn defense' had some rather unlikely examples of situations they might get into… many of which making her father's stories growing up seem tame by comparison. But she had then noticed Emily's wide-eyed expression and realized the slow intro was more for the benefit for those not of magic background like she was. Even Emily, who had grown up on Haven's Row, still had been raised 'mostly' Muggle despite having heard her share of tales. Fortunately, it had only taken Natalie an hour the night after their first class to reassure her that the odds of a Fanged Gnasherbeast making it all the way up to the Gryffindor tower to chew their feet off were next to none, and only a half an hour more to convince her that Redcaps didn't travel in armies.

"Of course, there are some very nasty beasts in the Dark Forest, I've been told," she admitted to her the next day when the sun was up and the morning was bright and cheerful. "But I'm not foolish enough to go in there, nor have I any intention of taking any classes that will."

"Some classes go in there?" Emily asked nervously. She had been terrified of that forest all her life and the thought of actually going in there wasn't at all appealing.

"Oh, well, not first years, of course, and they don't do it often in any case," Natalie said. "In fact, I only know one other person other than Sagittari who's been in there at all recently, and you know who that is, of course."

"Of course I do," Emily agreed. "Everyone in Hogsmeade knows about Auror Snape. He's a regular hero with everything he's done over the years!"

"I'm sure he'd be surprised to hear it," Natalie chuckled.

* * *

Aurelius stood by the door of his mother's class as the students finished up the lab, watching as the inevitable happened and one of the cauldrons boiled over despite Jennifer's constant instruction to stir them. But Jennifer had noticed Aurelius lingering by the door and despite her better judgment helped Kim and Paula clean up their mess and then shooed them out the door with the rest of the class.

"Oh, hello, Aurelius! Good, you're just in time to help me with something," Jennifer said, pulling him towards her office while Aurelius warily tried to catch her eye. "It isn't anything like that!" she protested, sighing with exasperation. "Could you grab some ingredients out of the vault for me?" she asked with a hopeful smile. Aurelius gazed back at her blankly.

"How have you managed to get through this week without going in there?"

"Oh, well, if you must know, mostly I've been getting the students to do it for me," Jennifer said in a lowered voice. "But I can't very well send first years in there, can I? Here, let me make out a quick list."

"I hope we're not going to spend all lunch hour doing this," Aurelius complained, but dutifully took the list. "This isn't going to work, you know. Father's never going to agree to take off that door," he said, going in while Jennifer held the door back.

"Then I'll just start storing everything I need in here if I have to. I have no intentions of ever getting stuck in that thing again," Jennifer said firmly.

"But you're willing to risk sending in your own son instead?" Aurelius challenged her.

"That is why I am here holding the door for you," Jennifer pointed out.

"And what if I simply offered to do the same for you?" Aurelius asked.

"Thank you, although this works much better," Jennifer said and then smiled when he came out with a tray of phials, despite her son's critical gaze. "So, what made you decide to have lunch with me today? Is it that mess in the _Oracle_?" she asked, putting the phials away and uncovering some sandwiches.

"What makes you think I have a reason other than just wanting to visit?" Aurelius asked.

"You always have a reason," Jennifer said knowingly. "Even if it would be nice if you did visit without one once in a while." Aurelius grimaced.

"Fine, there's a reason," Aurelius admitted. "Although it's a bit more complicated than me reading the paper. Rather, it was more that Maurice read the paper and told grandfather who then quizzed me on what I heard who then asked me to unofficially have lunch with you and unofficially look into it." Jennifer rolled her eyes. "In fact, since he can't do anything officially on this, he's mobilized his entire bunch of crooks this morning. Scur and Stock are poking about at the mining site, while he sent Earham to the University to look into any old Muggle reports of missing museum items at that time period, and he persuaded Alex to do the same on our side, not that it takes much to persuade her."

"I have not been cursed," Jennifer said firmly. "It was nothing but a freak accident."

"Mum, one freak accident I believe… two, maybe, especially considering the storm. But three is getting to be a bit silly."

"I'm also not dead," Jennifer said flatly.

"You could have asphyxiated on those fumes, Mum," Aurelius said bluntly.

"Isn't it stuffy in here?" Jennifer said out of the blue, and Aurelius sighed and waited patiently for his mother to hook back the door leading out to the parapet. "Aurelius, it was simply an accident, really. I checked all those items thoroughly, paw included, and there were only minor charms on them, except the paw itself, which was used up."

"Yes, a wish charm, one that supposedly went bad. Who's to say that one of the owners of that paw didn't make a wish cursing everyone who handled it after them?" Aurelius said. "It wouldn't necessarily show up on the item, would it?" Jennifer paused. She hadn't thought of that.

"But the wishes were all used up, Aurelius, I doubt such a thing would still be in effect even if someone did such a thing," Jennifer decided, sitting down and taking a sandwich herself.

"Some of Father's wishes lasted a while after they made them," Aurelius mused.

"Yes, but not for over a century, and he is still alive," Jennifer pointed out. Aurelius looked thoughtful.

"I suppose it is possible someone in their group might still be alive somewhere… or perhaps someone who knows something," Aurelius mused, but then shrugged. "I'll have to think about it. In the meantime, you might think about going to the hospital and getting tested for curses."

"I think you're overreacting," Jennifer said, and then sighed, looking at the mirrors in her room. "As is your father, come to think of it."

"Being overly cautious is why we're all still here, mother," Aurelius pointed out.

"Very well! I promise if anything else strikingly odd and unfortunate happens, I'll have myself tested for curses. Will that do?" she said with exasperation, finishing off her milk.

"I guess it will have to," Aurelius said, shaking his head and getting up. "I think I'm going to go for a quick ride before I have to head back."

"Oh, give my respects to the herd, then," Jennifer said.

"I think I do that just by going there, actually," Aurelius said, and Jennifer smiled at him, watching him go before grabbing another sandwich and turning her attentions to her next class.

A chill, crisp breeze drifted through the browning leaves of the trees, a prelude to the cooler months to come. It was difficult to walk through the Dark Forest without being heard, the ground crunching under Aurelius' feet. But as noisy as he was as he approached the Glen, he turned and saw that Pali had come up beside him without making a sound.

"Show off," Aurelius teased him, giving him a loving pat.

_I was hoping you would come today. Where have you been? The cabin has been dark for days,_ the Unicorn thought as they walked out onto Centaur Glen.

"I'm sorry, but I've been so busy since I've gotten back to work at my normal job. There's a lot going on right now, so I've been crashing in town, but I have missed you," Aurelius reassured him, and got soulful eyes in response. "All right, all right, I get the hint! Just give me one or two more days to finish up on one of my cases, and I'll come stay here again."

_I would like that,_ Pali thought, and his mood had instantly improved to the point that Aurelius felt a familiar tingle through his hand. _Let us go running through the trees, Aurelius! Forget about your life away from the forest for a while!_

"All right, all right," Aurelius chuckled, climbing onto his back and feeling the familiar sensation of their thoughts intermingling once more. Pali didn't understand the concept of work all that well, other than the fact it had something to do with Aurelius protecting his family and others around him. But anything that kept Aurelius away from too long was bad in Pali's opinion, especially now when the nights grew short.

After a few quick strides, Pali took off into a gallop, and Aurelius soon lost himself in the moment as he always did when the two of them together, soaring quite literally through the trees as if they weren't even there and over the hills, skirting the swamps in favor of better places to run. They often went this way; Pali like Aurelius preferred to live within certain patterns, and this was one of Pali's favorite runs, making a long sweeping circle of the forest itself until they got to Keki's Grove where they would walk for a while.

But just as they got to the halfway point of their normal run, Aurelius suddenly felt dizzy. He held on tighter then, waiting for the sensation to pass and wondering if they hadn't simply taken a turn too sharp when his heart started beating rapidly and he felt as if he were going to lose consciousness.

Pali quickly slowed to a stop, turning his head to watch as Aurelius slumped off his back and fell to the ground as if dazed. Pali nuzzled him worriedly.

"I'm all right," Aurelius said after a moment, holding his head. "I just… felt strange for a moment, and now I'm rather tired."

_I'm tired too. Let us walk over to the brook for a drink._

"Probably not a bad idea, actually," Aurelius admitted, slowly getting up and leaning on Pali until they arrived at the stream and Aurelius rinsed off his face with water and took a quick drink, sitting on a rock nearby as Pali rather intentionally took his time getting his own. "I suppose I must be working too hard lately… I've been trying to make up for being gone for a year I think, and with those silly items and Mum…" realizing he was rambling, Aurelius sighed. "I'm so tired, I can't even forget my troubles like I normally do when I'm riding you, it would seem. I'm sorry, Pali, I didn't mean to bring so much baggage with me this time."

_I just want you to be well._

"I think I'll be all right," Aurelius decided, reluctantly getting up to prove it to his worried friend. "See? Better all ready. Let's walk back to the cabin. I think I'll send Harry an Owl letting him know I'm staying home tonight."

_I think that is a good idea,_ the Unicorn thought, although Aurelius sensed that Pali would have been in favor of it even if Aurelius had been feeling all right. And perhaps he had a point, Aurelius admitted. He hadn't been spending as much time as he would have liked at home.

But as Aurelius built up the fire and settled in at the cabin for the evening, he had trouble getting comfortable; even after Harry's Owl returned officially agreeing that he could use the night off, Aurelius found that his mind wouldn't wind down, and Aurelius spent most of the evening thinking of work.


	13. Training Camp

_A/N a bit of language, but then there always is when the Coventry boys are involved. Anyhow, this chapter was actually meant to go out on Sunday, but login has been down, as you know... Expect two chapters published this week. Happy reading! JCWriter_

Chapter Thirteen

Training Camp

Jennifer stood by the door and peered inside the potion vault, watching intently from her office.

"I can't find this one," Dale said. "Are you sure it's not on your office shelf?"

"I looked before I even made the list. Which one is it?"

"Basilisk scale," Dale said, and Jennifer paused.

"Oh, you're right. That one probably is out here somewhere," she said and walked away from the door. But she became startled when the door moved, and although the hook was doing its job keeping it open, she apologized profusely.

"It's all right," Dale chuckled, coming out with a tray of phials. "I don't think the door is going to budge, and even if it did, I would much prefer being in a tight space rather than a room crowded with noisy fans any day."

"Oh, yes… I suppose I don't blame you," Jennifer said with a grin. "To be honest, I rather don't see how you do it."

"I grew up with two talent agent parents and had the misfortune of being a well behaved baby who would look up and laugh on cue," Dale grinned, helping her go through the shelves. "Besides, when you're on stage, you don't notice the pressure… the adrenaline rush takes care of that. It's afterwards that the panic can kick in."

"Yes, I rather understand that. I've had my fair share of situations where I had to do something and had no time to react to it until much later," Jennifer said.

"Well, fortunately, it's almost over. Our last album releases on Thanksgiving, and then there's the tour next summer, of course… and then and only then will the general public learn that Second Chance is splitting up to go their separate ways, and so that three of us can go to college and the other two… well, honestly, they'll probably end up in rehab within a year or two after that," Dale admitted with a grin.

"Well, I hope you're not one of the two going into rehab," Jennifer teased. "Although I don't know why you'd bother with college. You're one of my best items majors, and I'd rather see you actually doing something with that talent."

"Don't worry, Professor, I plan to… I don't suppose this is it?" Dale said, inspecting a bottle thoughtfully before he read the label out loud. "Scale of Rasputin, taken under protest and without due process.'"

"Yes, that's it, sorry," Jennifer said with exasperation, walking out into the lab. "Apparently the Headmaster was attempting to be funny again."

"He shouldn't do that, he might hurt himself," Dale chuckled as he followed her, getting his project out from off the shelf. "Thanks for keeping the lab open tonight, by the way."

"All for a good cause! I knew you wouldn't have time this weekend between Quidditch tryouts and that football camp of yours! And the camp idea is so successful, too… Kim was telling me that all the first year Ravenclaws were going," Jennifer said mischievously, while Dale looked less than thrilled at the reminder.

"Yes, lucky me," Dale said dryly as he set up his table and took out a pair of tiny shells that he'd been polishing and smoothing.

"Oh, I'm sure she'll notice too," Jennifer added with amusement, handing him a tuning kit. "I wonder why she gets so jealous?"

"Do you always taunt your students like this?" Dale challenged her with a laugh.

"Only my items majors," Jennifer admitted.

"And you have three!" Dale said.

"Yes, well, you're the only one here," Jennifer said with a grin, then went back to planning out demonstrations for the next week so that she too could be free for the weekend.

* * *

Despite being incredibly cold for that time of year, Saturday morning was clear and sunny without even a whisper of fog over the lake. Practically every student in the school seemed to be either outside; half of them out on the Quidditch Pitch getting ready for the tryouts the next day, and the other half waiting for the order to set up for their football training camp.

"We have our work cut out for us, considering how many sign ups we have, so we'd best spread out and use our space wisely," Dale was telling the others. "Lucky, why don't you take your group over to the far goal, and everyone working offensive techniques can spread out from there, while I'll take goalkeeping on the other end, as well as those assigned to defensive drills."

"Fine by me, considering your girlfriends will follow you over there," Lucky said flatly, thumbing over at the group of first year Ravenclaws along with several other girls sitting on the stands, the number of which had been growing quite steadily over the last half an hour.

"Just remember in this instance, they're all paying customers," Dale said. Lucky sighed with annoyance.

"Can I help?" Mike Coventry asked, listening nearby.

"What are you doing here?" Lucky scowled.

"I invited him," Delia said quickly. "He's helped our team a lot, after all…"

"He's not an Owl," Lucky said.

"I just want to help," Mike protested.

"I think we should let him in," Lindsay ventured. "He's right in that he can help, and with the amount of signups we have it'd be great to get another person helping basic drills."

"Sure, I can put him to use," Bobby agreed.

"It's okay by me," Ambrose said before anyone could say anything else. Lucky sighed in annoyance.

"Fine, but stay outta my way," Lucky said, lifting the ball up with her foot and going over to her half of the field.

"Well, wait for us!" Laura protested, and she, Connie and Gary moved to follow her. "Is something wrong, Lucky? Or are you just cross about Dale's fan section this year?"

"What? They don't bother me," Lucky snorted, ignoring the dubious look on Laura's face. "I'm just getting a weird feeling, is all. Like something's hanging over us."

"It isn't like much can happen out here, is there?" Connie said thoughtfully, but glanced around speculatively anyhow. "Except for a twisted ankle or something, I suppose."

"Don't say things like that!" Gary protested immediately, making a gesture as if to ward off evil.

"It isn't as if they wouldn't have months to recover," Lindsay said.

"Yes, but some of us would like to try and make the Quidditch team this year," Gary said.

"But Gryffindor is short speed players, and from what I've seen, you aren't it," Beth said.

"Hey, I've improved over the summer!" Gary protested.

"Aw, forget it! It's your speed on the ground I care about," Lucky scowled. "I don't want you breakin' your neck on a broom when you could be here stealing balls for me."

"Wow, coming from you that was almost practically nice," Gary grinned.

"Don't let it go to your head," Lucky retorted, taking her position.

Jennifer watched with interest as groups of students began to spread into different sections, wandering through with cordial greetings and swift but searching glances to make certain everyone was in it for the right reasons. But she needn't have worried; every student who had any reservations about the 'football crowd' were making their protests heard by completely ignoring it and were concentrating instead on their own sport. Bludgers were flying across the Quidditch Pitch when Jennifer peered in the check on them, being batted back and forth by different Beaters who had paired off. Several of the stands even had small groups of students hanging out to watch, and Jennifer curiously went over to where Maurice said with Gamban, Hinge, and Starling.

"Hello, Maurice! I'm surprised to see you here, I thought I had seen your name on the sign up list for the football camp," Jennifer said.

"Fortuna asked me, so I thought I'd show some support by adding some sickles to the collection," Maurice said with a shrug. "Besides, I don't mind supporting a good cause now and then, but I'd prefer to do it from a distance, really. Rather nice day for their camp, though, isn't it?"

"A nice day for Quidditch too, I'd say," Jennifer said with amusement, waving at some of the students who had noticed her from their brooms before turning to go back to the field.

As she did so, she couldn't help but notice someone in Slytherin colors hovering just outside the Quidditch stands watching the students on the other Pitch. But before she got close enough to identify who it was, he suddenly shot forward on his broom and straight into the crowd, tackling one of them to the ground.

By the time Jennifer got there, the scene had turned into a full-blown fight with both punches and hexes being thrown. Dirk, Laura, Dale and Connie had all run over, somehow managing to pull the two Coventry twins apart before Jennifer arrived. From another direction, Danny dove in to help hold Don back, Dirk looking quite grateful for the assistance. Don was still furious and cussing up a storm while Mike looked much worse for the wear, covered in green warts and looking quite ill from the barrage of hexes he had received from his brother.

"Cool it, Coventry! Give me that wand!" Danny snapped. Dirk had already been holding Don's wrists, so she was quickly able to wrench it from his hands. "What's the matter with you, attacking your own brother like that, let alone anyone?"

"He's no brother of mine! He's nothing but a sappy brainwashed ninny who's so corrupted by goody-goody smarm that he's turned into nothing but a dirt-eating bootlicker."

"I think you have it backwards, Don. I haven't been a bootlicker since I got out of Slytherin," Mike said coolly.

"Aw, you've had your head up everyone's ass so long you've started liking the taste of shit," Don snorted.

"Ten points off Slytherin, Don! One more word like that and you'll be burping up soap bubbles," Danny warned.

"But he's showin' everyone everything we learned over the summer, every damn new technique we've been planning for this year!" Don complained.

"I think you're overreacting, Don," Dirk said and gave him a hard look, noticing that Lindsay, Dale and Lucky were all squinting at him. "I haven't seen him do anything he shouldn't."

"Like you would know! You were on the other half of the Pitch!" Don scowled. "What's your game, anyway? You shouldn't even be helping them at all, considering you're not even an Owl… pathetic, isn't it, even _they_ won't let you in!"

"That's enough! Don, go straight to my office!" Danny said.

"Fine! But I'm writing father, and I'm making sure that you're not going to be invited to any more lessons from now on. Honestly, what a family disgrace," Don said with disgust as he stomped off, Danny's frown following him while Jennifer went over to take a look at Mike.

"Don't listen to him, Mike. If anyone's disgracing your family, it's your brother, not you," Lindsay reassured him. "Isn't that right, Beth?"

"Well, I'd rather not take sides," Beth said carefully.

"I was just trying to help," Mike said when he saw Beth's uncomfortable expression.

"Of course you were, Mike," Jennifer said gently. "It's quite plain on your face that you didn't do anything wrong. I do need to take a look at your wand, though. Here, drink this."

"Go ahead, it's not like he gave me much chance to defend myself," Mike said, dutifully sipping from the phial.

"What did he cast on him to turn his skin strange like that?" Gary asked.

"Well, if it's what I think it was, Mr. Coventry is going to spending another afternoon in the Headmaster's Study, so I'd rather not discuss it," Jennifer said, watching carefully as Mike's skin slowly turned back to normal and the warts had faded somewhat. "Lindsay, why don't you escort Mike up to the hospital wing? We'll talk about this later, Mike, after I've had a chance to look at your wand. The rest of you should get back to what you were doing," she advised.

As the rest of the students went back to where they had been practicing, Jennifer paused, mulling over what she had seen in Beth's expression. She watched as the girl walked back over to Veronica, who was bouncing a ball on her knee distractedly.

"A bit of excitement, eh?" said a voice behind Jennifer. She glanced over to see Rhett standing there, wearing a long coat and carrying a box under his arm as if he had just come in from a shopping trip.

"Oh, yes, the Coventry twins got into a fight. Honestly, it was bound to come to a head at one point or another," Jennifer admitted.

"Yes, they're in the same class together in Defense," Rhett said, thoughtfully. "Don has a rather strong talent in curses, doesn't he?"

"So I've noticed," Jennifer said dryly. "So did poor Mike, I'm afraid."

"Yes, Defense definitely doesn't seem to be one of Mike's strong points," Rhett mused. "He is all right with the book portion, but he never does well in practical casting of any of the spells he's learned so far."

"I don't think it's Defense that's the problem, exactly," Jennifer said, Rhett gazing at her curiously. "It's rather hard to face any sort of threat when you're self esteem is as low as Mike's is at the moment. I think I'll talk to Sally about it. Perhaps she'll have some ideas. Come to think of it, she's going to want to know about this fight anyhow."

"Well, I'm on my way in, so I'll see if I can't track her down for you since you're stuck out here," Rhett suggested.

"Thank you, Rhett, that's a good idea," Jennifer agreed. "I'll see you later on," she said, and wandered back over to the football camp, making her way towards the empty stands on the other side of the pitch.

Jennifer couldn't help but to grin with amusement when she saw the line of younger girls lined up waiting for their chance to practice with Dale near the nets, while Delia, who was kicking balls over to them, looked quite bored with the entire thing. Jennifer chuckled softly to herself and climbed to the top of the stands so she could easily see what was going on down below.

She had no more gotten settled into a seat and put her feet up on the seat in front of her that the entire expanse of the wooden stands suddenly collapsed.

Immediately everyone stopped what they were doing and cried out in surprise. Ambrose ran straight over with Lucky and Dale falling in right behind him. Broken planks seemed to lift up on their own as Ambrose dove into the pile.

"Careful, Ambrose!" Dale warned as the young boy scrambled through to try to get to Jennifer. "I doubt what's above you is stable!"

"Let's try to get some of this stuff out of the way," Lucky said, pulling at one of the broken planks.

"Here, I'll take it," Connie said. Lucky looked up and saw that a line of students had formed behind them, so Dale and Lucky began pulling off boards by hand or by spell and handing them down to the others.

* * *

Jennifer blinked in surprise and then frowned. There was a bandage on her head and around her leg, despite the fact she couldn't feel her leg much at all, and she looked around at her surroundings in surprise. Mike peered over at her curiously from the next bed.

"Why am I in the hospital wing?" Jennifer asked at last.

"The stands collapsed," Mike said. Jennifer took a moment for that information to sink in before finally nodding. "You know, Professor Craw, when you said you'd meet me in here later, I didn't think you meant this way."

"I never meant it to be quite that literal either, I assure you," Jennifer agreed. "What horrible timing!"

"Rotten luck," Mike agreed, and Jennifer gazed at him thoughtfully. "Although it could have been worse had it happened earlier when everyone was sitting there waiting for football camp to start."

"Yes, that is true," Jennifer said, but her voice sounded strange even to her. "Where do you suppose Professor Snape is?"

"I think he's talking to my brother," Mike said, turning back to a book he was reading. "And Doctor Sagittari said he had to take care of something real quick. I don't think they expected you to be awake yet."

"Well, at least they had the decency to put me out here instead of that stuffy room in the back," Jennifer said.

Mike quickly decided not to mention that she had been taken care of in the private room and had only recently been placed out there. But fortunately for Mike, it wasn't long before both Sagittari and Severus had returned. Both of them were somewhat surprised that she was awake, and soon found themselves parrying the slew of questions that Jennifer threw at them by insisting she quiet down and take it easy. Jennifer sighed with frustration as Sagittari checked her eyes, pulse and reflexes before smiling softly.

"Apparently it isn't as bad as I had feared, Severus. Just a minor concussion, and the leg, of course… I'd rather you stayed off of it as much as possible for a day or two," Sagittari advised.

"Fine. And I think while we're at it, perhaps it would be prudent for her to be tested for lingering curses," Severus put in.

"Oh, Severus, really!" Jennifer said with exasperation.

"Yes, really! One accident I can believe, but two major accidents within the same month is another matter entirely. I think I very much have the right to be paranoid, thank you," Severus said curtly.

"I don't believe it's an unreasonable request, Severus," Sagittari said solemnly, and Jennifer frowned, knowing quite well there was little chance she'd win such an argument against both of them.

"Oh, very well!" Jennifer said. "But to be fair, Severus, you know as well as I do that those makeshift stands weren't exactly built to last as long as they had. It could have been a coincidence."

"Yes, perhaps it could have been, but with every passing 'coincidence,' it becomes more unlikely to me that it is coincidence at all," Severus said. "Something's going on here, Jennifer, something very fishy, and the more I think about it, the more I become convinced that your father was right all along."


	14. Errand Encounters

_A/N here's your second chapter. Hope you like it!_

Chapter Fourteen

Errand Encounters

What had been intended as a brief vote and a congratulatory meeting welcoming Natalie into the Owls quickly turned somber as they talked about what happened earlier in the day. Delia arrived several minutes late, panting slightly as if out of breath as she took her seat.

"Sorry I'm late, but I think you'll forgive me when I tell you I've been up to," Delia said, grabbing a drink. "Because I went upstairs to visit Mike."

"That's right, I almost forgot about that fight," Veronica said thoughtfully.

"You don't think Don would have done something, do you?" Winnie asked worriedly.

"No, he wouldn't," Beth said with annoyance.

"Besides, he left right after, remember? Madame Brittle sent him to her office," Pimra pointed out.

"There were a ton of students out there," Laura pointed out. "Although I can't imagine any student being able to cast a spell on those stands without either Professor Craw or Heron noticing it."

"Heron? When was he out there?" Lucky frowned.

"I saw him talking to Professor Craw just before she walked over to the stands," Laura said. Lucky squinted.

"Now, let's not jump to any conclusions," Dale said when he saw the expression on Lucky's face. "We all know those stands were in terrible shape. That's why we were having the fundraiser to begin with."

"Well, the Headmaster isn't so convinced it was an accident," Delia put in. "Professor Craw was resting right next to Mike in the hospital wing, and he told me that the Headmaster seemed to think it was intentional and that Professor Craw ought to be tested for curses."

"You mean that paw really might be cursed after all?" Natalie asked worriedly.

"But Professor Craw told us it wasn't cursed," Ambrose insisted.

"So either she's cursed personally," Lindsay began slowly, looking around, "or it's someone in the school doing it."

"But who would want to hurt Professor Craw?" Connie asked.

"Would you care for a list?" Dirk chuckled, shaking his at her. "Everyone knows the Snapes made quite a few enemies over the years."

"Well, I hope she's careful," Lindsay said, sounding more worried than she had intended.

"If it is someone in the school, perhaps we all should be more careful," Laura suggested. There was an uncomfortable silence as each one of them was lost in their own thoughts, until Pimra made a comment about one of her classes and everyone began talking about study groups for the year.

* * *

It was Severus himself who decided to supervise Quidditch tryouts the next day, taking a book on curses with him. He knew it would be fairly quiet; for not only did the students tend to be on their best behavior when he was around in any case, but with Don assigned to detention, there was no one out there who would push their luck. He squinted when he saw that Ambrose had showed up, but he was sitting down with several Hufflepuffs as well as Natalie and several other students his own age.

It had been the first time in years that Ambrose had seen some of them; many of them had been in his classes in primary school before he ran away to try and get into Hogwarts early. Even Maurice stopped by to say a few words to them before he and his mates went to join the Slytherin team practicing on the other side of the Pitch. Severus had often wondered if Ambrose would even be able to identify with other children his own age any more, but as he observed them from a distance, it seemed like Ambrose's behavior had changed to match theirs and he was acting much more his age than Severus had seen in a long time.

He gave them over an hour by themselves before he wandered down to talk to the different teams individually, until at last he began pointing out the time and the students began to walk to lunch, chatting excitedly about their Quidditch hopes for the year. Severus waited until the majority of them had gone in before he went towards the Potion Lab, unsurprised to see Jennifer sitting in the classroom with her foot propped up and the windows open, completely absorbed in the tome she was reading.

"So you're back, I see. How did your appointment go?" Severus asked.

"Just as expected… they ran a whole gambit of magical sensors and contraptions on me and I show no signs whatsoever of having any sort of long term curse placed upon me," Jennifer said, a slight hint of 'I told you so' in her voice. "In fact, there's nothing at all wrong with me other than a swollen leg, which of course we knew about already. How did tryouts go?"

"Fair," Severus mused. "Ravenclaw picked up Guthrie Ryan as their new Beater… Gary is Gryffindor's, but I was expecting that… and Slytherin and Gryffindor picked up Helena and Constance Weasley as Chasers."

"Really? Wait until Percy hears about that! I'm especially happy for Connie, she's been dying to play Quidditch for years now," Jennifer beamed. "And what about Hufflepuff?"

"Hufflepuff didn't replace anyone this year, actually, except for alternates. Winnie made a Beater alternate, however."

"Really?" Jennifer said. "Well, I suppose I oughtn't be too surprised. Don was a good Beater in his day."

"Better known for getting into trouble. At least she didn't inherit that," Severus said. "At any rate, I need to go run some errands. Do you mind watching the castle for a couple of hours?"

"Not at all. Are you sure you don't mind leaving me alone that long?" Jennifer asked.

"Now, don't start testing me again, not with everything else going on. I don't know about you, but I want to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible before you or anyone else runs into another round of 'bad luck,'" Severus said dryly. "But do me a favor? Don't take any unnecessary chances?"

"I promise I won't leave this room unless someone in the school needs me in your absence," Jennifer said, holding up her right hand.

"A bit exaggerated, but I'll assume the promise is sincere," Severus said after mulling it over a moment. Jennifer simply shook her head at him as he left, and then went back to her book.

It wasn't a half an hour later that she began to hear strange noises and found herself scrambling up onto her desk, letting out a cry of complete surprise to see that the lab's large variety of poisonous snakes had escaped their cages. Quickly, she pulled her wand out of her sleeve, pointing it at the Freeze Frame and shattering it, the rest of the room going silent as everything around Jennifer slowed to the point that nothing appeared to be moving.

"Well, wasn't that lovely?" Jennifer said as she exhaled, slowly tiptoeing around the snakes to get out a pair of leather gloves.

* * *

The Leaky Cauldron wasn't somewhere that Severus often frequented; only stopping there on occasion when Jennifer was in the mood for their stew or when he was on a strict time schedule. It was too smoky, too unkempt, and most of all, it was too filled with nosy patrons that Severus would rather avoid all together.

Thomas, however, didn't seem to mind it… perhaps something left over from the days after his parole when his freedom was so limited, Severus mused, for it was one of the few wizard friendly places that Thomas could reach from his temporary prison at the Baker Street house. But Severus knew that Thomas didn't throw caution to the wind any more than he did; so he was not entirely surprised when he noticed that the table Thomas was sitting at had a very complex curse burnt into its wooden surface, more than likely from Thomas' own wand.

"So this is how you discourage eavesdropping these days," Severus murmured in a low voice as he sat down.

"And what are they going to do? Arrest me?" Thomas snorted. "Between the two men who have the authority, Harry already knows about it, and the other isn't fool enough to fire me for it. Anyhow, I'm surprised to see you out of the castle with everything going on, especially considering every time you're not around, something happens to Jen-girl."

"You of all people know that your daughter is capable of taking care of herself," Severus said evenly.

"Under normal circumstances, yes. Against a known foe and well prepared, she can flatten practically any adversary out there. What she lacks is split-second thinking. In any situation where there is conflict, she stalls to give her time to mull over her options so she doesn't make a mistake she'll regret. In short, she's a damned perfectionist," he grunted.

"Yes, I wonder where she gets that from," Severus mused.

"True, but I don't have a conscience to get in my way from doing what's necessary. My point, Severus, is she doesn't always do well in situations where she is surprised, and there have been times when that fact very well may have cost her life. Including that business with Obliviation Charm," Thomas pointed out, Severus nodding once. "Now we're facing someone or something that prefers to work by causing surprise accidents."

"Then we'll simply have to prepare for any 'accidents' so they're no longer a surprise," Severus said. Thomas nodded sharply to him before gesturing over towards the bar.

"You are going to have you work cut out for you, considering that Jennifer had another accident while you were on your way to meet me," Thomas said casually. Severus blinked. "Don't worry, she's quite all right. Somehow all the cages in the lab became dislodged and all the poisonous creatures she keeps on hand escaped. However, I understand that she got the situation under control quickly."  
"How do you know that? I just left there fifteen minutes ago," Severus demanded. Thomas gazed at him steadily a moment and then pulled out a charmed conch shell, a contact mirror, and unfolded a small brazier whose flame flicked into life when Thomas' put his hand over it… a device used to substitute for fire messaging in an emergency.

"Suffice it to say, Severus, that if anything happens that would alarm students in your school during the next seven years, I'm sure to hear about it," Thomas said evenly, unsurprised by Severus' less than thrilled expression at that fact. "You should go ahead and do your planning and preparing for any disaster, it is what your best at," he went on briskly. "But I believe the only true solution to this matter is to get to the bottom of who, how, and why… and until something happens that couldn't have been an accident beyond a shadow of a doubt, thanks to the Minister's input on this, it'll have to be done outside the Ministry; with whatever resources I can muster and whatever spare time they have to offer." The two of them gazed at each other with serious expressions for a long time.

"I have very little spare time, as you well know, Thomas," Severus said in a low voice.

"And I also know you can make the time when it suits you," Thomas said calmly back, and then paused when they were brought their drinks. "Besides, personal concerns aside, I would have thought that you would be a little worried that such events are happening inside the castle at all."

"More than a little, but I am handling that side of it, thank you," Severus said.

"And you have no more idea who is doing this than I do," Thomas snorted. Severus sighed.

"Very well, I'm in, as is Jennifer, I imagine."

"That goes without saying," Thomas said. Severus gave him a dirty look. "Although you may want to hold off on your plans of having another child until we get to the bottom of this," he mused. Severus' jaw dropped.

"How could you possibly know about… we are _not_ making any sort of plans!" Severus said, especially annoyed by the smirk on his face. "I'm quite content with my family size and have no intention of seeing it grow any further, thank you. I have enough to do keeping up with the ones I already have."

"I dare you to tell that to Jen-girl," Thomas said. "But in the meantime, how about you help me strategize a way to get to the bottom of this little curse problem we've been having?"

* * *

Severus was still thinking about his meeting with Thomas when he stepped into Diagon Alley, but pulled his focus in to his surroundings by the time he got to the bank. And it was just as well; for as he was going in, Sludgebat was going out. The deformed old goblin snarled in both warning and utter disgust, eyeing Severus with his beady steel eye while seemingly ignoring him with his normal black one.

"Astounding that they still even let you bank here," Severus said with a mutual level of disgust.

"That's because other than being a goblin, I have something that you don't. Money," Sludgebat snarled. "Despite your attempts to get your hands on it!"

"That was thirty-five years ago, Sludgebat, and it was Dumbledore and the school's lawsuit, not mine," Severus sighed, wondering just how many times he had the displeasure of repeating that fact.

"All the evidence presented against me was yours, Snape!" Sludgebat growled.

"Furthermore, the lawsuit was to try and get your business shut down. The galleons involved were simply to pay for solicitor's fees," Severus pointed out.

"For something that was your fault," Sludgebat sneered.

"I wasn't the one trying to intentionally poison wizards," Severus retorted.

"Was that an accusation?" Sludgebat hissed warning.

"I was merely stating a fact," Severus said unconcernedly.

But then his ears picked up a change in the goblin's growl and he immediately took a defensive stance. Before Sludgebat could pull out a weapon, there came another goblin growl from the doors of the bank, this one loud and quite intentional as if he was clearing his throat.

"I hope neither of you gentlemen are making any plans to spill blood on the bank steps," Griphook said, and the other goblin and wizard warily relaxed their stances. "I'd hate to have to report the incident to the rest of the bank officers."

"No need," Sludgebat snarled, making a play at straightening his ugly black coat. "I have more important business to attend to, as does the Headmaster, I'm sure… probably coming to beg for another loan, more than likely," he sneered, walking down the stairs.

But even though Severus was thinking quite hard about how much he'd like to find a way to shut down Sludgebat's Apothecary some day, he held his tongue and silently watched him go. He then stepped up to walk into the bank with Griphook, while two wary guards held the doors open for them.

"Just why do you put up with that obvious radical in the bank?" Severus said irritably, but Griphook was well aware he was speaking out of irritation.

"He may be one of the 'esteemed' citizens of Heckletown, but he is still a goblin," Griphook murmured in a low voice, reminding Severus just why Sludgebat kept his apothecary in the Alley in the first place; the goblins didn't want him setting up shop in Myrkinbrek. "Besides, he is a successful businessman, being the most reliable alchemist we goblins have."

"While scraping the bottom of his barrels and selling anything he finds unsuitable for goblins to us wizards," Severus said dryly.

"There's always been a pecking order on this planet, Professor Snape," Griphook said with an amused sneer. "Some of us simply question who exactly should be at the top and who should be at the bottom."

* * *

It was Boulderdash's twin brother Balderdash who was waiting at the carts to take Severus down to his vault. Severus glanced at him questioningly but didn't say anything as he got in, knowing the goblin also wouldn't say a word when he got into his vault due to normal bank proprieties, so it wasn't until they returned to the cart that Severus finally turned to him.

"How are things at the school?" Severus murmured.

"Quiet now," Balderdash said softly back. "There was some trouble earlier with some cages mysteriously being opened in the Potion Lab, but my brother thinks it was cleared up straight away."

"Yes, I heard something of that," Severus admitted.

"Apparently your Doctor Sagittari has doubts it was an outside source, and although I don't quite understand why, he and my brother are wondering if your wife might not have done it," Balderdash admitted. Severus gazed at him thoughtfully for a moment.

"Perhaps they have a point, come to think of it," Severus admitted. "Doors and windows have been opening on their own around her lately. But hopefully my little shopping trip today will help clear up part of the matter, at least."

"We're going down, then, sir?" Balderdash asked. Severus nodded to him, and he released the break, reaching out and flipping a nearby lever to switch their cart down the track towards Myrkinbrek.

Severus had intended only to make two quick stops; the first being to pick up his order at Knicknack's Emporium, a novelty shop that specialized in tracking down rare and enchanted items. But it was on the far side of town; the older part of town near Grendelbane's and Tassels and Panning, and out of habit more than any other reason Severus found himself stepping into the jewelry shop.

"It is good to see you out," said Tassels.

"So early in the year," finished Panning. "Did she like her necklace?"

"Oh, yes, she's been wearing it rather exclusively lately," Severus admitted, realizing belatedly that that wasn't the shop he had been planning on entering. "But I'm not buying today. I just thought I'd have a quick look around."

"Of course, Professor, please feel free," Tassels said.

"After all, Christmas is only a few months away," Panning ventured.

"Yes, actually we've been thinking quite a bit about it," Tassels admitted. "We have some suggestions for this year."

"Suggestions?" Severus repeated thoughtfully. Tassels quickly brought out a couple of cases and opened them. Severus couldn't help but roll his eyes, for every single item from the earrings to amulets had been enchanted with a good luck charm.

"You never know, it may help," Tassels said.

"Although I've heard that it doesn't work for everyone," Panning admitted.

"But if so you can sell it back to us and get something else," Tassels ventured.

"How about we simply skip that part and try something else? What else might you have charmed with spells to keep people from being closeted in?" Severus asked. Tassels and Panning glanced at each other.

"Did she lose her necklace that lights in the dark?" Tassels asked.

"Or the broach that makes fresh air when she taps it?" Panning put in.

"The earrings which turn the direction the nearest draft is coming from?" Tassels added.

"Or the bracelet with the arrow charms that points to the nearest exit?" Panning frowned, looking a tad worried. He had put in extra time on that one.

"No she hasn't lost any of them," Severus said irritably, having forgotten just how many of those he had already gotten her. "Never mind, I'll come back when I've thought it over some more."

"I think a luck charm might be more useful," Tassels ventured, Panning nodding readily.

"I would like to think this silly matter of supposed curses is cleared up by Christmas," Severus said. "I'll be back some other time."

"Oh yes, come in any time," Panning said, trying to hide his disappointment.

"We'll let you know if we think of anything else," Tassels added. Severus nodded politely to them but couldn't resist rolling his eyes again on his way out.

It took Knicknack's Emporium longer to figure out how to actually wrap Severus' parcel than it did for them to find his order, and Severus found himself glancing at his pocket watch briefly and wondering how quickly he would be able to get in and out of Webstring's Booksellers to check on his order there.

But as he stepped out and turned to walk down the street, Severus heard a strange sound. When he glanced over, he couldn't help but start in sheer surprise when he saw the grey-haired boy standing behind the building he had just came out of. Half expecting him to bolt, Severus hurried over as the boy ducked around the corner. But the boy hadn't bolted at all; he had simply stepped a cautious distance back, very close to the other edge of the building.

"Might I ask what you are doing? Actually, I have a better question. What are you doing here?"

"I was just looking," the boy said quietly, gazing at him seriously. "I wanted to get a better look at you, that's all."

"Why?" Severus frowned.

"I saw someone that looked like you recently. In the paper… are you…" the boy paused, glancing around the corner behind him with a frown before continuing. "Are you Professor Snape, the Headmaster of Hogwarts?"

"Yes, but who are you?" Severus asked, but the boy's expression had grown even darker.

"Then it is my fault, then," the boy said with a sigh. "I am sorry, really. But I can't help it, you see…"

"I'm afraid you lost me. Sorry for what?" Severus squinted.

"For cursing your wife," the boy explained. Severus blinked.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Oh, it wasn't on purpose," the boy said quickly. "It's just something that happens when other people get around me. I'm cursed myself, you see."

"And how were you cursed exactly?" Severus asked.

"I don't know," the boy said, looking thoughtful. "I'm not sure if it's something I was just born with, or something that happened when my parents died… you know, as punishment for my surviving or something."

There was a subtle change in Severus' expression as realization crept in.

"I don't believe in natural jinxes any more than I believe that any child is born naturally lucky. I don't think you had anything to do with it, um… really, you could give me a name," Severus insisted. But the boy slowly shook his head.

"I don't want to get in trouble. I'm not supposed to talk to anyone unless they say it's all right," the boy explained.

"And who are they?" Severus asked. The boy hesitated.

"My employers," he said cautiously.

"Who are?"

"I hope your wife is all right," the boy said. "And I really honestly hope it isn't me this time," he added, stepping behind the building before Severus could ask anything else.

Quickly Severus strode over to see where he went, catching the boy just as he disappeared around another corner. By the time he made his way between the shops to see which way he went, the boy was gone.


	15. Predictions

Chapter Fifteen

Predictions

Later that evening, Jennifer listened intently as Severus retold what had happened that afternoon, and his concern over the fact that the boy seemed quite nervous about giving Severus his name. Jennifer shook her head.

"That poor boy, thinking that maybe he had something to do with it!" Jennifer sighed. "What do you suppose happened to his parents?"

"I don't know, but I'm more troubled by the fact that no one seems to have sat down and spoken to him about it," Severus said, getting in a drawer to pull out a brown paper parcel. "From the way he talked about it, it was obviously a conclusion he had made about himself, and I highly doubt I was the first he had ever mentioned it to. Why didn't anyone else reason with this boy to help him discount the notion? On the contrary, he seemed quite convinced of it, as if others around him believed it as well."

"Perhaps he's on his own, then," Jennifer suggested.

"No, at least… not entirely…" Severus said thoughtfully. "His clothes were clean and pressed, if not a bit odd for this time of year. He was wearing short pants of all things, despite having a formal jacket on. His hair was clean and in order and he is thin but not gaunt, so I believe he's being looked after in some fashion, as well as the fact that he did mention that he had an employer. In fact, he seemed a great deal more worried about his boss might find out than he did about anything else."

"He must work in Myrkinbrek then," Jennifer said, Severus gazing at her thoughtfully at that.

"At his age?" Severus said.

"Well, it isn't completely unheard of for some of the goblins to hire wizards. You of all people know that, considering Corey himself worked in Myrkinbrek," Jennifer tsked. "And doesn't Roy still work at Webstrings?"

"Corey was a great deal older and caught Grendelbane's eye because of his talents in physical arts," Severus said. "And Roy got that job because of Dumbledore. They don't make a habit of hiring wizards of any kind, let alone our children."

"But goblins often teach by apprenticeships, Severus, so starting a boy younger isn't completely unheard of, if not a bit rare," Jennifer said.

"Yes, quite rare, considering the mixed sentiments of wizards in general in that society," Severus mused.

"Then it shouldn't be difficult to find out who his employer is, should it?" Jennifer concluded with a smile, sitting down and setting up the tea and dinner tray.

"No, it shouldn't. I think I'll send a note to Grendelbane on the subject," Severus decided.

"Yes, you should, but first come eat," Jennifer suggested.

"No, first I want to give you what I went to Mykrinbrek to get you," Severus said, handing her the parcel. Jennifer opened the box and stared into it.

"It's empty," Jennifer said flatly.

"No it isn't," Severus said.

"Yes it is, Severus, and there is a hole in the bottom," Jennifer sighed.

"Precisely," Severus said, then reached in and used a nail to peel the hole off the bottom, shaking it out until it unfolded to its original size.

"It's a Portable Hole! Just like Corey's!" Jennifer said with surprise.

"Yes, I don't know about you, but I rather got tired of having to borrow it every time I had to check floorboards for water damage or the like. We could use one around the house, but more importantly, you need one more than anyone else I know," Severus said. "Just keep it in your left pocket, and you'll always have a way out."

"Oh, Severus!" Jennifer said and gave him a loving hug him. "Not that it'll work everywhere, but it is a brilliant idea. Some walls would probably be too thick for the hole to handle, and it only works through a couple of layers. Do you suppose it'll even work on the Potion Closet door? It's quite thick, and I thought you protected it from things like Portable Holes, just in case…"

"They won't work on the outside door, Jennifer, but I made certain that these can work on the inside… both on that door and the research library door," Severus reassured her. "But if you like, you and I can test it tomorrow before your first class to make certain. And if it does work, do you suppose you'll be able to handle going in there again?" Jennifer hesitated, but gave him a wan smile.

"Well, I'm not sure my head would stop spinning to actually remember I have the hole to use, Severus. But I suppose I'm ready to try again," Jennifer decided.

"Good, that in itself made it worth getting, I think. I certainly don't want you to feel trapped anywhere," he added, frowning when he noticed that all the windows were open. He sat down beside her and attempted to ignore the breeze on his back, and instead found himself watching as she poured half a cup of tea for herself and filled the rest with milk. "You know, I don't recall ever seeing you put milk in your tea, let alone that much."

"Actually, this is the first cup of tea I've had in well over a week, Severus, but drinking so much milk was starting to catch up with me," Jennifer admitted sheepishly. Severus blinked and thought back on it, frowning deeply.

"I know I'm probably going to regret this, but why have you been?" he asked.

"You mean I didn't tell you?" Jennifer said, Severus simply gazing fixedly back at her. "When Sagittari was giving me a checkup the next morning after that potion closet business, I asked him what he thought of me carrying another child."

"You what?" Severus said flatly.

"Well, I knew you were worried about if I could handle it or not, and we would have had to talk to him about it eventually anyway… anyhow, he said I was fully capable of having another child if we liked as long as it was within the next year or two and his only concern was bone loss and my diet in general. So, I decided to start working on building up my calcium, just in case," Jennifer said with an enigmatic smile. But Severus looked anything but happy.

"Just how many people have you been telling that we were even discussing it, Jennifer?" he asked.

"Only Sagittari, Severus," Jennifer said, sipping her tea. "After all, he would have needed to know in any case."

"Then why was it that your father happened to mention it to me today?" Severus snapped.

"He did?" Jennifer said in surprise, but then shrugged. "Well, it's true I may have mentioned something about it to Fleur over the summer," she admitted. Severus sighed irritably. "And most of the girls on staff have heard me mention it as well on one occasion or another…"

"Jennifer," Severus began but then paused, realizing his temper was starting to rise. He sighed again. "Really, I don't want to get into this now, but I suppose there never will be a good time. I've been thinking it over for well over a year, and my feelings on it really haven't changed. Jennifer, I don't want any more children."

"But Severus, Sagittari said…"

"I don't care what he said about the matter, Jennifer, it's more than just concern over your health or even what steps we might have to take to accomplish such a feat. We have six children. We planned for four."

"We planned for five," Jennifer corrected. "And do you really regret adopting Lucky that much?"

"Of course, I don't, Jennifer, I don't regret it at all. In some ways, she was my sanity when I had little of it, and now after years of work on our part and hers, she's finally coming into her own. But the fact that I was willing to step in when no one else would doesn't mean I have any interest in having another child. It's our children's turns to learn the aches and pains of parents. We've had more than our fair share of headaches already."

"But that is part of the point, Severus," Jennifer said pleadingly. "We wouldn't have that many headaches this time around. We've learned so much since we had the first four, not to mention the lessons that Corey and Lucky have brought with them. And on top of that, you and I have changed and our situations have changed dramatically since then, and that's even before taking into consideration how nice it would be not to have to raise a child in the shadow of the Death Eaters or Ciardoth…"

"There will always be some new threat to take its place, Jennifer…"

"Not like that," Jennifer said quietly, shaking her head. "And I also know perfectly well that some things happened when we raised our children that you've regretted as well as I did…"

"We can correct our mistakes through our grandchildren and our students."

"It isn't the same thing, Severus…"

"Enough is enough, Jennifer!" Severus said, raising his voice loud enough to quiet her. "We've been referred to as a mob and a horde as it is, and we already have more children than is respectable! Elixir or no Elixir, capable or not, we are older than we look and it is about time you resigned to the fact that that part of our life is over!" Jennifer gazed at him critically with a hurt expression on her face before shaking her head.

"My life is just beginning, Severus," Jennifer said at last, getting up. "You said that one of the reasons the Elixir was all right was because of how much we gave back in return. Well, I'm not done giving, Severus, and I'm very sorry to hear that you don't feel the same way. Quite sorry."

Jennifer turned and strode through the bedroom, going into her study instead and slamming the door behind herself. Despite the fact he didn't regret his words, Severus did regret raising his voice on the subject, and when he heard the lock, he realized it was going to be a very long week.

* * *

October came in dry and crisp. The chill air seemed unshakable, and the cold wind chapped lips and cracked hands to the point that even the boys broke down and began to carry phials of Bee's Milk Balm in their pockets to keep them from getting worse.

It was on the second as Heron's fifth year class was being instructed on the finer points of memory curses that Ambrose noticed a bird on the window. Brightening immediately, he nudged Lucky awake, and she sat up as if half expecting that her name had been called. Heron paused after noticing her jolt and was about to make a comment to her when a shrill whistle pierced the room.

"What the devil? And just who's familiar is that, eh? I've never seen it before," Heron said disapprovingly, then noticed a raised hand. "Is it yours, Mr. Tinker?"

"No, Professor. That's my father's kingfisher, Halcyon," Ambrose said proudly. "I suppose that means my parents are back in Hogsmeade."

To Heron's surprise, an excited murmur around in the room at that fact as many of the students whispered to each other to speculate whether or not Toby's Trinkets would be open during their next Hogsmeade trip.

"Student post, short of emergencies, should be delivered to them in the dorms or the Great Hall," Heron quoted the rulebook, frowning at the bird. "Is this an emergency, then?"

Halcyon flapped indignantly and flew away, Ambrose looking quite disappointed as Heron took up the textbook and began reading from where he had left off. But Halcyon didn't have to go far, for at the very gates of the castle, Toby the Tinker was standing and surveying the castle thoughtfully. Halcyon landed his shoulder and began complaining in shrill whistles.

"Threw you out? Well, you'll simply have to stay with me then, Halcyon. Do you suppose they'll throw me out as well?" Toby wondered with a chuckle as he walked up the castle steps.

Upstairs, Severus was in a very foul temperament. In fact, it was to the point that after a brief update of the board meeting the night before, Hermione decided to clear out, hoping that a quiet morning of solitude with only his paperwork to keep him company would do him some good. But Severus had had his fill of solitude lately, and part of him was actually relieved when the quill to the appointment book decided to pen someone in for lunch. The relief was short lived, however, when he actually took a moment and saw who it was.

Before he even had a chance to find out who had a free conference to escort the old man up, Severus heard a firm rap at the door that sounded as if it had been made by a cane or a staff. The doors flew open and Toby smiled, stepping inside with the kingfisher still on his shoulder.

"Hello, Severus! We're back," Toby said cheerfully.

"Obviously," Severus said curtly, closing the doors behind Toby.

"Thank you for having me for lunch… oh, this isn't the right candy dish, is it? Found a new hiding place for it?" Toby asked thoughtfully, helping himself to a piece of licorice. But Severus didn't answer as Toby made himself comfortable in a chair and began to look less and less like Toby by the second. "Sugar? No thank you, but a dab of honey for my tea would be nice," Merlin ventured and Severus sighed as a tray appeared. "Thank you, that's much better," he said, twisting the honey stick over the jar. "Do you care for honey in your tea as well, Severus? It's much better for you than sugar, you know, it's slower to digest. And is this griffon egg salad? Goodness, I don't think I've had it in years."

"I seriously doubt you came here simply to test out the menu," Severus said curtly.

"No, I came to check on Ambrose. Well, and there might be one other small thing, other than catching up… is it just me, or is there a rather large quantity of pumpkin butter sandwiches on this tray? Do you like them?" Merlin asked conversationally.

"No, Jennifer likes them, but considering she isn't speaking to me at the moment, I highly doubt she'll be joining us," Severus snapped.

"Ah, I was wondering why you seemed to be out of sorts," Merlin said, dripping some of the honey into Severus' cup as well.

"The tip of the iceberg, I assure you. May I ask what that small thing might be?" Severus prompted. Merlin looked thoughtful.

"I wonder why people ask permission from others if they can ask a question?" Merlin mused, Severus staring at him. "Considering they have to ask one in the first place, it seems rather silly, and since you also already asked what you wanted to ask…well… why bother?"

"The point, Merlin," Severus said, drumming his fingers on his desk. Merlin promptly handed him a cup to keep him from doing it.

"I have a bit of a problem… well, actually, our worlds have a bit of a problem, and I was wondering when you would be available to assist me with fixing a small tectonic discrepancy with the portals?"

"A what?" Severus said, staring at him.

"No, I asked when," Merlin reminded him.

"When?" Severus repeated. "Merlin, someone is attempting to injure my wife using a cursed item as a cover, the board is debating whether or not to consider banning further Snapes from a teaching profession, and someone is leaking information about the school to outside sources. Can't it wait?"  
"It does sound like you have your hands full," Merlin admitted. "I suppose it can wait for a little while, and I do wish I could offer you some advice, but I still have that memory gap, you know…"

"Thank you, I can handle it," Severus said.

"Yes, I suppose," Merlin said, sipping his tea thoughtfully as he studied the harried figure. "But not alone, I'd wager. Perhaps you should concentrate on patching things up with Jennifer."

"Due to the nature of the disagreement, I doubt that is likely to end any time soon, not that it's any of your business," Severus said. "Did you want to see Ambrose, or not?"

"Oh, absolutely," Merlin said, finishing his tea. As he stood up, the beard faded as if it had never been there and a pair of round spectacles rested on Toby's wizened face. Severus paid no attention to it, rolling up a paper to hand to him.

"This is a note letting my staff know you're welcome to see him. He'll more than likely be in the back room of the library considering it's lunchtime," Severus said.

"I believe I'll also drop by and visit Icarus while I'm here," Toby decided.

"Suit yourself, although I warn you he's been in one of his moods lately. I had to warn him yet again last week about depressing his entire class," Severus sighed.

"Perhaps I'll do what I can to cheer him up, then," Toby volunteered. "I will see you later, Severus. Come by the shop next time you're in town."

Severus watched him go thoughtfully, shaking his head at the idea of Toby attempting to cheer up the melancholy Divination's professor.

"Armando, you had better have Zacchius Black come in at the earliest opportunity," Severus said.

"Probably a wise idea, Severus," the portrait agreed with a nod.

* * *

As Toby walked down the back stairs, he had the curious sensation that something was behind him, unperturbed when he turned around and no one was there.

"Ah, Icarus. I was planning to come visit you," Toby said with a smile.

"I bet you're here to give me some more bad news of some kind," Icarus said somberly. "Everything is bad news these days, you know. If I didn't have to teach, I would probably crawl back in my crypt and not come out until spring."

"As bad as all of that?" Toby frowned. "And more yet to come, is that it?"

"I hope that's not your way of asking about your future, because I gave my word to you some years from now that I wouldn't…"

"No, no, no, although I admit this blind spot of mine is a bit frustrating at times," Toby said. "To be perfectly honest, right now I'm less worried about that and more worried about Severus and his family."

"It'll get worse before it gets better. Much…much worse, and it'll affect them all in some way, you know. And I'm sure the worse Jennifer's mood gets, the darker things will be here at the school. Her mood always has effected the morale at the school, and there are many rough months coming. That poor boy! That poor boy!" Icarus said. Toby heard sobs around him and finally sighed.

"Pull yourself together, Icarus, at least as best you can! I will do my best to help you if you give me more to work with than vague impressions. Is any of what's coming preventable?" Toby asked impatiently.

"No… no," Icarus sobbed. "It must happen. All things must change with time, one way or another, as painful as it can be."

"Yes, that is quite true," Toby said thoughtfully. "Things must change for the world to grow."

"Yes, everything changes, everything but me! Doomed to spend all my eternity watching change and not being able to do anything about it!" Icarus bawled. But Toby smiled gently.

"Icarus, you have changed in many ways since your death, that much is plain not only to me, but I'm sure to everyone else who knows you. And I think once you get out of your current state and back to your normal composure again, you'll start to realize how much you've changed as well. You may be in a static condition, but nothing is ever _completely_ static, you know. No man is an island… or ghost, as the case may be. Now, buck up, and see if you can't put yourself together before your next class. I'm terribly sorry if I upset you," Toby reassured him.

"If I have changed, it's for the worst, I know it," Icarus whispered.

"Well, I don't think so," Toby said. "And if whatever changes you see coming must happen as you believe they are, then it's probably for the best as well, at least in the long run."

"Perhaps," Icarus said, his sobs only subsiding a little. "But I'd rather not have to witness it, all the same, even if I don't have to live though it!"

"I'm sure no one does," Toby said thoughtfully, but then felt the presence beside him move away and slowly continued down the stairs.

The dreariness of the old ghost's foreboding predictions hung on Toby's conscious, as he wondered what sort of things had upset the old ghost. Changes… rough times ahead… and apparently lasting at least until spring. Perhaps Ashley would have some ideas, he mused, wishing for the hundredth time that he hadn't lost his future memory. How inconvenient it was, and it already had gotten him into a few unexpected messes already. And how could he prevent or at least soften what was obviously going to be trying times for the Snapes and the school if he didn't know what was coming?

But as he stepped into the library, he forced himself out of his own brooding mood as all the students who were studying there looked up with their eyes wide when they saw who it was with wistful, even hopeful looks on their faces.

"Second door on the left, Mr. Toby," Boulderdash ventured. "Go right in."

"Thank you," Toby said with a smile, pausing a moment to admire the owl carved in the door before opening it. Everyone at the table looked up curiously, but Toby didn't have much time to take them all in before Ambrose leapt up and bound over to him enthusiastically, hugging him and asking so many questions about his trip and his mother and what they did that Toby ended up chuckling rather than answering anything.

"Yes, yes, it is good to see you as well, and I'm terribly sorry we were gone longer than we expected," Toby said. "And how is school this year?"

"Professor Craw got cursed by a monkey's paw," Ambrose said. "But apparently she didn't find any curses on it, and yet things always keep happening to her anyway!"

"Yes, I've heard something to that effect, actually," Toby admitted.

"What do you suppose is causing it? Lucky thinks it might be someone in the school, while Delia thinks it might still be just a coincidence and we're just jumping to conclusions labeling it as bad luck anything," Ambrose went on.

"And you think I'm the one with the big mouth?" Delia said indignantly, Lindsay nudging her in response.

"I think they both have a point," Toby decided. "If people start labeling someone or something as being lucky or unlucky, no offense intended, but it's only human nature then to, shall we say, back that claim up. They tend to then notice all the bad things that happen in their lives and blame it on their bad luck, so to speak, when frankly, if they hadn't ever made such a conjecture, those same events would probably have passed by without them taking much notice of it."

"That is true, sir," Dale put in, "except in this case many of the events that are happening aren't the sort which would have escaped notice even without the curse."

"Yes, which is why Fortuna has a point as well. And if that's the case and they are both correct, what do you suppose the conclusion to what's going on here would be?" Toby ventured.

"Someone's using the curse as a scapegoat," Laura said.

"But if that's true, wouldn't it mean that it'd have to be someone who knew about the cursed items from the beginning?" Natalie asked. Lucky looked thoughtful, while Toby smiled broadly.

"I'm so glad that you children are learning so very much in school," Toby said with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Do keep up the good work. Especially you, dear boy, and I'll see you when you and your friends come to visit Hogsmeade."

"And will your shop be open then, sir?" Lindsay asked brightly.

"Oh, well, I don't know. I just got back, you see, and I have to clean and stock and whittle up more toys, of course, and build a shelf to sit my wife on so I can look at her while I work, so it may take a little time, you know," Toby mused, watching as the students' shoulders slumped and they all looked disappointed. "Oh, very well, I will do my best to be done by then," he said, and they all cheered approvingly. "Ambrose, make sure you write your mother."

"Yes, father! And I'll be sending the latest copy of the _Veritable Wizard_ too," Ambrose said. After he left with a wave, the Owls began chatting about the Hogsmeade trip, except for Lucky who still looked quite solemn. Dale sat down beside her, cupping his hands in front of his mouth to partially muffle his words.

"So what do you think, Lucky? Still think he may have done it?" Dale asked quietly.

"He had the opportunity, and we know from his class he's got the means to do it," Lucky said.

"Yes, but I don't see any motive," Dale murmured back. "Or any evidence that he even knew about the items, and I think they're right in that this paw thing and its history was something known by whoever was doing this from the beginning. Even if the curse isn't tied to those items, I bet the motive is in some way." Lucky looked thoughtful, but before she could make a comment, she heard a snicker.

"Gettin' cozy over there, are we?" Gary said, but quickly ducked behind his annoyed older brother when Lucky made a move as if she was going to get up. Lindsay frowned, looking between them.

"Gary, put a sock in it before I do," Dale said with a sigh. "We were just talking."

"Can't you do anythin' but make wisecracks?" Lucky snapped at him.

"He's going to help me collect the Hogsmeade donations for the stands, aren't you, Gary?" Bobby said, putting a brotherly arm around him and then immediately turning it into a threatening headlock.

"Hey! No fair!" Gary wheezed.

"Hey, Lucky, want a free shot?" Bobby grinned, but when she was still debating it, Boulderdash walked in. Bobby quickly let go of Gary who then hit the floor.

"You had better not be using my books in any of your altercations," Boulderdash warned with a snarl as he went over to his work desk, displaying a hapless tome that had been torn almost completely away from its binding.

"Not us, Mr. Boulderdash," Bobby said innocently as Gary crawled back into his seat.

"I don't care one wit if you fight in general, but at least have the decency to take it to the gym first. Natalie, I have your first pen pal note here," Boulderdash added, opening a drawer and pulling it out for her.

"How splendid! This is going to be fun! I wonder where they're from?" Natalie said excitedly.

"I'm sure you'll soon find out through conversing with them," Boulderdash said, turning his attention back to his work.

"Mine's from America," Connie said cheerfully.

"Yes, so's mine," Delia said. "And she likes writing as much as I do, and she actually seems interested in what I have to say!"

"That is a miracle," Dirk snorted. Delia stuck her tongue out at him. "Mine's from Ireland," he added, glancing up from where he was helping Helena and Pimra with their homework.

"Mine's in Polaris Town, on the Canadian side," Dale said.

"Mine's going to Beauxbatons," Ambrose said with a grin. "Yours could be anywhere! There are even some from Haven's Ridge in there."

"Now, that wouldn't be such fun," Natalie chuckled. "I see them all the time! I want someone from somewhere really exotic!"

"Lucky's got a goblin pen pal," Ambrose said.

"Ya, we have a lot more in common than I thought we would," Lucky admitted. "And his father's company built the courtyard fountain."

"Wow," Natalie said, anxiously opening the letter, then became instantly absorbed in it.

"So?" Ambrose asked impatiently.

"Oh!" Natalie said, giggling a bit when she saw several of them were watching her. "Well, I don't know yet, but it's in English."

"They're auto translated for us," Lindsay explained. "What's the name, Natalie?"

"Anita Halsdottir," Natalie said. "And she says she's a third generation Raven. I wonder… do you suppose that's a house name?"

"Yes, it's a Durmstrang house, actually," Dirk put in. "And considering her name, I'd say that's probably where she is."

"Well, in that case, I can tell her I'm a second generation Gryffindor," Natalie said cheerfully.

"Just don't mention your father is a Muggleborn," Dirk said. Boulderdash looked up, suddenly interested in the conversation.

"Why not?" Natalie frowned.

"Well, because she might not want to write to you, that's all. Durmstrang sorts their students according to social standing and magic blood, if she's a third generation Raven, she's a pureblood, and probably a stuck up one at that."

"Dirk, the entire reason I wanted to do pen pals our first year was to encourage tolerance," Laura said, sighing at him. "That's not it."

"Well, yes, I know, Laura, but that doesn't mean to throw out diplomacy and common sense and pretend the differences aren't there," Dirk said. Natalie looked thoughtful and nodded.

"You may have a point. I won't say anything about it, Dirk, not until I get to know her better. And once we're good friends and she sees I'm no different than anyone else, then I'll tell her," Natalie decided.

Connie and Lucky shared a private glance between each other, remembering what had happened with Dirk's pen pal the year before. Lucky shook her head.

"I think you oughtta tell the truth before it blows up in your face," Lucky said, despite the fact that she knew her warning wasn't likely going to be heard by either of them.


	16. Personal Day

Sixteen

Personal Day

Rain was coming down in torrents when Lucky, Connie and Ambrose came off the bus. Lucky quickly pulled an umbrella out of her cloak, while Connie pulled out a stylus and transfigured it into one of her own, Ambrose following her lead.

"Well, this isn't going to be fun! The stores will all be even more packed than normal today because nobody is going to want to stay outside for an instant!" Connie grumbled.

"Nobody will be in Mum's shop this early, though. Come on!" Ambrose said, and the three of them hurried through the puddles towards the dress shop while the majority of other students ran towards Honeydukes, Zonko's, and Toby's.

Ambrose ran right in and looked for his mother, while Connie stopped to admire the embroidered dresses, and Lucky looked over her shoulder with feigned disinterest. Not seeing her, Ambrose ran into the back and stopped short in surprise when he saw Minerva and Jennifer sitting at the kitchen table, pausing their conversation when he ran in.

"If you're looking for your mother, she's still over at the other shop, I think," Minerva said.

"Oh, great! And that place will be packed now!" Ambrose said.

"I doubt he's open yet," Minerva said. Ambrose grinned, running back out.

"He's looking more like his father by the day, isn't he?" Jennifer said, welcoming the opportunity to change the subject. But she instantly saw by the look in Minerva's eye that she wasn't going to be that easy to get around.

"You really are taking this matter too personally, Jennifer," Minerva said at last.

"And how else am I supposed to take it?" Jennifer retorted.

"Well, not as a personal affront, certainly," Minerva said. Jennifer frowned at that. "Surely you don't think for an instant that it was easy for him to tell you he didn't want a child. He was probably afraid you'd do something like this, and as usual he was right."

"That's not fair, Minerva. You are taking his side," Jennifer accused her.

"I'm simply playing the devil's advocate, Jennifer," Minerva said, a hint of mischief in her wry tone. "Here we have a man who over the course of the last two years has figured out that he is who he is, whether he likes it or not, and has finally resigned himself to his fate. And just when he starts to feel comfortable with that admission, you toss in a third Bludger."

"I don't see what that has to do with anything, Minerva," Jennifer said.

"Because it feels like backtracking, Jennifer. It's as if you're asking him to be the same man he was thirty years ago. Well, I've known him longer than you have, and I can tell you that he had come a long way from who he was then," Minerva said.

"But that's just the point, Minerva!" Jennifer said with frustration. "I don't want him to backtrack anything, and I don't want to be the person I was then, either! What I want is the chance for us to be parents the way we are _now_! We're both different, Minerva. I think we'd be much better parents, and I just wanted one last chance at redemption, because if I wait any longer, slowed age or not, I won't ever have the chance. Even Sagittari confirmed that," Jennifer said, Minerva simply gazing at her in response. "I suppose I won't have the chance again anyhow, will I? If Severus doesn't change his mind, it doesn't really matter what I want, does it?"

"Not entirely true, Jennifer. You could still have another one, you know, just not without wrecking your marriage," Minerva said with a thin smile. Jennifer gave her a dirty look. "Well, what's more important to you? Your marriage, or this 'last chance' of yours?"

"Need you even ask me that?" Jennifer sighed, but Minerva looked quite serious. "My marriage is, of course. I wouldn't want to have a child without him. In fact, I want this as much for him as for myself."

"Oh? To heal that scar on your relationship?" Minerva challenged her.

"No…at least… well, I admit that may have been part of the reason I wanted it a year ago, but not anymore," Jennifer murmured. "Now it's more because that things have begun to heal. We trust each other like never before, Minerva, and I know without a doubt that nothing will ever drive us that far apart again."

"Except right now with you not speaking to him for days, you mean," Minerva said dryly. "Come now, Jennifer. You admit that your marriage is more important, and the school is never the same when the two of you are at odds with one another. Can't you try and respect his feelings and his decision on this matter?"

"No," Jennifer said flatly.

"Dare I ask why?" Minerva said, knowing she'd regret it.

"Because he's wrong! Dead wrong! Why doesn't he see it? Why doesn't he understand?" Jennifer began to rant.

Minerva sighed and pushed Jennifer's tea over towards her, calmly waiting until Jennifer repeated everything she had already complained about that morning. Finally Jennifer ran out of wind and reached for her tea, still fuming.

"I mean, honestly, Minerva, enough playing the devil's advocate. Don't you think he's wrong?" Minerva pursed her lips and stared into her tea, refusing to look up. "Oh, please don't do that! Come, Minerva, you've always given me straight answers on things like this."

Minerva seemed to think it over a moment, well aware that Jennifer was leaning over the table like a student anxious to get back the result on a difficult test.

"Well?" Jennifer asked impatiently.

"I think he is wrong," Minerva admitted. Jennifer immediately smiled triumphantly. "Although not for the same reasons as yours," she added, sipping her tea, and earning Jennifer's undivided attention again. "In the course of this conversation, Jennifer, you explained all the reasons why you wanted to do this. You even admitted to the fact that your aging and your close call with divorce play parts in it, even if it's not your main reasons for pursuing it still. At the same time, your reasons for wanting another child sound quite logical, overall."

"Not that it's done any good at all," Jennifer muttered.

"Of course not," Minerva said with a thin smile. "Because from everything I've heard so far, Severus has responded out of emotion." Jennifer gazed at her thoughtfully. "Reluctance, alarm, confusion, dread, perhaps even a touch of fear, and of course a general reaction to how other people see him in general when they hear about it when you already have what he considers an 'unrespectable' amount of children. Am I correct?" Jennifer nodded somberly. Minerva nodded back, sipping her tea again. "In which case, I think you have nothing to worry about, Jennifer. Severus Snape may react with emotion, but Severus Snape acts on logic. Don't you agree?" Jennifer brightened dramatically. "Just be patient with him, Jennifer. He'll come around."

"Oh, Minerva!" Jennifer said happily, hugging her enthusiastically. "You're so brilliant, really! I'll have to find a way to patch things up discretely, somehow, but I'll think up something. Oh, and come by the Brooms later and see everyone! You're welcome at the professors' table any time, you know!" Jennifer beamed.

"I'll try to get away, Jennifer, but you know how busy we get once the students are here," Minerva reminded her.

"You haven't changed so much," Jennifer teased. "I'll see you later. Thanks for the advice!"

"See you later," Minerva replied, watching as she slipped out towards the front of the store. "I hope Severus doesn't find out who gave her that idea," Minerva murmured to herself before finishing her tea.

* * *

A pack of wet students in transfigured parkas and makeshift umbrellas were outside Toby's Trinket shop where the Closed sign read: _Not Quite Yet. Come back after I've had my breakfast._ But Ambrose pushed through them as did Connie and Lucky, ignoring both the sign and the exclamations of the students when all three of them ran in and quickly closed the door, leaving the students to try the handle, which simply rattled and refused to let any of them in. Ashley and Toby stepped in from the back room, wondering what all the fuss was about.

"Ambrose!" Ashley laughed, and Ambrose immediately went over and hugged his mother warmly. "You really oughtn't have done that. Your other friends will be cross if you keep letting others in early."

"We can go back outside and wait," Connie offered, Lucky giving her a dirty look in response.

"It's quite all right, Constance," Toby said with a smile. "I'll be opening in a few minutes anyway. So, if you were planning to look around, now might be a good time," he added with a wink.

"Maybe there will be something here to go along with that dress I saw," Connie told Lucky, who raised a wary brow at her. "I think I'm going to Owl Mum and see if she'll get it for me."

"Which one?" Ashley asked with interest.

"The pumpkin one with the green lace vines and the flickering candle embroidery," Connie said.

"Oh, I just _love_ that one!" Ashley said enthusiastically. "Really, Minerva was always ever so much more creative than I at sewing, but with what tricks she's picked up abroad, I really think she's really surpassed everyone, especially with her embroidery."

"I protest, Mrs. Tinker, you are not without talent," Toby said, glancing at her over the rim of his glasses.

"I know my job well, Mr. Tinker, but that isn't the same thing as having talent in it," Ashley replied, shaking her head at him. "For all her professional life, material transfiguration was a pastime instead of a job; to me, it's just a job. She actually creates new styles that everyone flocks to, while I simply cater to the tastes of my customers."

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, Mrs. Tinker. That's simply being a good businesswoman," Toby said.

"I never meant to imply there was anything wrong with it, Mr. Tinker, only that it was different. I like keeping a shop and I like sewing, I simply don't have the passion for it that she does," Ashley admitted.

"Then what do you have a passion for?" Toby asked curiously.

"I rather think you know that already, Mr. Tinker," Ashley said flirtatiously, and Toby cleared his throat, glancing at Ambrose who was grinning ear to ear.

"You know perfectly well I was not speaking of personal matters, Mrs. Tinker," he said chidingly, but Ashley seemed rather pleased with herself over his reaction. "But Minerva has been querying to our plans since we've been back, and I think she very much would like to buy her shop back, if given the opportunity. And considering that you and I still have a lot of decisions yet to make on how we're going to make this marriage work, now may be the best time for you to think about choosing a new career path for yourself."

"All I've ever wanted was to be happily married with a family," Ashley said, shaking her head at him with a smile.

"Exactly. Now that you have that, what do you want to do?" Toby asked. "Surely there's something else, Mrs. Tinker, considering you know you don't have Minerva's passion for sewing, or even Corey's passion for alchemy, for that matter, nor do you seem to spend much time with any hobbies."

"I really don't have time for hobbies," Ashley protested. "Between the shop, you and Ambrose, and helping Rose with the grandchildren, I honestly don't have the time."

"Mum has a passion for being busy," Ambrose agreed, and Ashley laughed softly at that.

"You do seem to go out of your way to volunteer to help them baby sit," Toby ventured.

"Well, they do have five, after all, and there's always something going on, and one of them always needs me for something! Especially the little ones… although I suppose Amber isn't so little now, and so independent! Destiny has been such a little hellion since she got mobile. Did I tell you that Charles the Third has all the sudden gotten it into his head to insist to everyone to call him Chuck now? And Hope's driving everyone crazy over what she wants for her birthday and changing her decision every single time you ask her… you know, I really ought to go over there. Rose did say she wanted to go to Hogwarts to help Professor Sprout get the gardens ready for winter today," Ashley said, noticing a pink package tied with a red ribbon on the shelf and picked it up. "Any ideas on what this is?"

"I haven't the foggiest," Toby admitted, but Ashley chuckled and kissed his cheek, taking the offered umbrella from him before she slipped out the door, somehow managing to shut it before any of the waiting students could take a move for it. "Time to open up, I think, so if you want to get anything before the crowd, I suggest you do so now."

Connie came up right away with a hair barrette set, while Lucky debated between two items in her hands and finally put the pipe down and got the book.

"I know what Mum is most passionate about," Ambrose said, still watching from the counter as Connie put in her coins and Toby carefully wrapped it. "It's taking care of children! She loves doing that more than anything else that I can think of."

"My grandmother is the same way," Connie said. "Honestly, though, I rather think my aunt and uncles sometimes take advantage of it. They tend to drop them off whenever they want, knowing she'll do it."

"Ya, but I'd think that'd still count as personal," Lucky pointed out. "It's not like they get paid for watching them or anything. It's not even a real job."

"Paid or not, it's still a real and quite important job," Toby said. "And it is a rather good point, Ambrose. She does seem to enjoy watching young children, and she has the seemingly endless patience for it."

"Yeah, and at least she seems content to watching _other_ people's kids," Lucky said with a smirk. Toby smiled knowingly at her.

"And me," Ambrose protested.

"After watching you, it's a wonder she still has the energy for anybody else," Lucky teased him.

"All right, that's quite enough. There is a time for everything under the sun, Fortuna. A time for opening a shop, a time for closing a shop, and a time to simply change the merchandise. The trick, of course, is knowing when it's time to close up shop for good, or when to leave it open a few extra minutes in case the next customer that happens along makes it worth your while. And speaking of which, it's time for me to open _my_ shop, so Ambrose, would you do the honors and get the door?" Toby said with a smile.

Ambrose ran over to the door in response, the students practically falling in to get out of the rain, soaking wet despite the charmed doormat's valiant attempts to keep it under control.

"Well, it's about time!" Gary said with exasperation as he stepped in.

"Nobody said you had to wait," Lucky retorted.

"Come on, Lucky! Let's head to Honeydukes next! I promised Natalie I'd get her some too," Ambrose said.

"Yeah, okay," Lucky shrugged, and the three of them pulled out their umbrellas.

"Goodbye Father!" Ambrose said with a wave.

"Take care, son," Toby replied, and then turned his attention to several students approaching the counter while the other three hurried outside.

"I can't even begin to tell you just how wonderful it feels to say that word," Ambrose said happily.

"What word?" Connie asked, wondering if she had missed something.

"Father, of course," Ambrose said with a grin. "Wanna race? Last one to Honeydukes has to buy frogs for the other two?"

"I'm in," Lucky said.

"Anything to get out of this rain quicker," Connie agreed, and without warning began to run, the others following suit.

In fact, Rinan nearly had to jump out of the way to prevent himself from colliding with Ambrose as he barreled past. Aurelius shook his head at them, especially when he noticed Lucky Apparate to the door to keep from getting last place.

"I really ought to call her on that," Aurelius said as the two of them took the side street.

"I don't blame them wanting to get out of this rain," Rinan grunted grumpily.

"Well, we're nearly at the Pannage now," Aurelius said. As they approached, Harry opened the door, Scur going in ahead of them. "Got suckered into all of this too, did you? Who's watching the office?"

"Jamie, who else? The moment I look around for anyone else to sit office, all the Aurors scatter," Harry said.

"Deskwork is for Law Enforcement. We're supposed to be out there doing their dirty work," Aurelius said. Harry grinned, knowing full well he was quoting Moody again.

"I know, but someone has to stay behind, and to be perfectly frank, if it hadn't been for the fact that Thomas wanted you here, I'd probably have asked you."

"Me? I hate sitting still," Aurelius scowled.

"Aurelius, you look like a mess," Harry said, lowering his voice. "In fact, you look like you haven't slept in days. Didn't I tell you to see Bliant about that?"

"I did. He didn't find anything wrong with me and dubbed it, 'exhaustion,'" Aurelius said irritably, then saw Harry's expression. "I'm not burnt out on the job, Harry, just get that out of your mind right now. Whatever this is, that's not it."

"We'll talk about it when we get back to the office," Harry decided, and Aurelius didn't like the sound of that at all. "I have to have full confidence in any Auror I send out on a capture, Rel, and right now, I can't say I have that about you."

"I have the best record in the department! Have I ever let you down?" Aurelius demanded, not wanting to let it go despite the curious glances passing through the bar towards the two Aurors lingering at the door.

"No, but I'll be damned before I send you out there when you look like you're on your last leg. I wouldn't do that to any Auror, let alone you, and I suggest you don't get mixed up too much into this intrigue with your grandfather, either. The sooner you get your rest, the quicker you can get back to being the Auror that makes dark wizards shudder the moment they hear you're on their tail," Harry said encouragingly, while Aurelius looked even more irritated than ever.

"I'm more tired when I'm not doing anything," Aurelius complained. Harry simply smiled sympathetically at him, but it was quite obvious from his face that he wasn't going to change his mind.

As Aurelius went to the back of the pub, he noticed a large conglomeration of what could only be construed of as 'Thomas supporters,' and knew that was where they were heading. Tonks waved at him, sitting by herself at one of the far corners and sliding over when Aurelius approached while Harry went to sit by Ginny and Hermione.

"Wotcher, Rel," Tonks said, looking thoughtfully over at Harry before turning to Rel. "What's with the scene at the doorway?"

"I'm getting benched," Aurelius said flatly, and Tonks winced.

"Who'd you kill?" she whispered.

"Nobody, he thinks I'm burning out," Aurelius said, and Tonks cringed.

"Bad luck, Rel, but maybe it won't be for long. You do look a bit worn down, though," she said, earning a dirty look in response. "It's not uncommon for some Aurors to get out of the mouse race early, you know…"

"I don't want out! I just had a year off…"

"Except for weekends," Tonks pointed out.

"And because of that silly business with the sword, a lot of cases I had on my list fell by the wayside for someone else to pick up," Aurelius finished. "Every day I'm on the bench, some other bastard out there on a magic power trip is going to get away with his crimes, and all I'm going to be allowed to do is twiddle my thumbs and watch the stupid flag board and tell all the other Aurors coming in to go take care of it. I can't be useful from behind a desk, that's just not who I am."

"I know exactly what you mean, Rel," Tonks said, distractedly wiping up the drink she had spilled a few moments before. "In fact, it doesn't sound like you're burnt out to me."

"Tell that to Harry," Aurelius said bitterly. "Not that he'd listen."

Tonks was attempting to think of something to say when she saw a curly haired blonde wandering around looking for a place to sit. Tonks smiled at her, and Ginger came over and slid into the booth across from them.

"Hi," Ginger said.

"Got sucked into this too, did you?" Aurelius asked.

"Well, to be perfectly honest, I want to know what happened to Paul, and with everything going on with your Mum, I'm not so sure it was an accident either, not that I can be of much help," Ginger said.

"Considering you're in charge of the lab, I'd say you can be of big help, if we actually ever find anything," Aurelius said.

"That's just my point, though. I can't exactly put bad luck on a slide, can I?" Ginger said. Aurelius looked thoughtful.

"Sooner or later, whoever is behind this will make a mistake, Ginger," Tonks said reassuringly. "They always do, and when they do, you are gonna be priceless. Moody always said that most detective work is done in the lab."

"I thought Rel said that," Ginger chuckled, glancing over at Aurelius who gave her a thin smile. "Funny how all of you quote him still, even Harry does it, constantly. In some ways, it's almost as if he isn't even dead."

"Why do you think we do it?" Aurelius asked, Ginger nodding in understanding.

Just then, someone knocked on the table and they looked up to see Andrew standing there, grinning. Reluctantly, Ginger scooted over to let him sit down.

"What are you doing here? I thought Father was coming," Aurelius asked.

"He is. Danny's watching the castle this morning," Andrew explained. "Hello, Ginger. How are you?"

"Still not interested," Ginger said evenly. Andrew sighed, while Aurelius and Tonks both shook their heads at him disapprovingly.

"Aren't you ever going to give me a break? All right, I admit I was probably a bit of a jerk when we were dating, but I've changed since then, Ginger," Andrew said sincerely. Ginger rolled her eyes, looking across the table.

"Rel, has he changed?" Ginger asked.

"No," Aurelius said.

"Don't listen to him, he wouldn't know," Andrew said, staring hard at his brother as if hoping it'd make it easier for Aurelius to read him.

"How many girls is he dating at the moment?" Ginger asked Aurelius.

"Four," Aurelius said.

"Exactly! See how much I've cut down?" Andrew protested.

"Oh, leave me alone, Andrew!" Ginger scowled.

"Andrew, get the hell up and stop bugging her," Aurelius said, getting up himself and pulling him up by the arm.

"What are you going to do? Arrest me?" Andrew taunted his brother with amusement.

"Ginger, would you care to file harassment charges?" Aurelius asked seriously.

"I was joking!" Andrew stared at him, but Aurelius was ignoring him.

"No, of course I don't," Ginger sighed, then caught the look in Andrew's eye. "But I will if he doesn't stop!"

"There, so why don't you bugger off and sit at the bar or something?" Aurelius said.

"I suppose it'd kill you to take my side once in a while," Andrew grumbled.

"Thanks, but I think acting in your best interests is a lot more productive," Aurelius said.

"One father in the family is enough, Rel," Andrew said.

"Apparently not for you. You need all the help you can get," Aurelius retorted.

"Is there a problem?"

The two of them looked up and saw the dangerous look in Severus' eye and sat down again, Aurelius quickly taking the seat beside Ginger while Andrew took the seat next to Tonks.

"Good morning, Ginger, Tonks. Feel free to tell someone if these two keep insisting on behaving like teenagers. Perhaps I'll have to arrange an old fashioned detention for the both of them to remind them to act their age," Severus said crisply before walking back over to Harry's table.

"He wasn't joking, was he?" Ginger asked in a low voice.

"No," Andrew, Aurelius and Tonks replied at once.

"I hope this isn't going to take all that long," Sirius was saying when Severus sat down beside him. "I promised to meet Lindsay for lunch. She's been quite vague lately in her letters, so I have a feeling something is on her mind."

"It isn't as if you're not going to drag her out of school for that silly American holiday next month anyway," Severus said, but Sirius snorted at him. Severus had complained about the Thanksgiving absences as long as Sirius could remember, making his opinion well known that he would have preferred it if the students simply stayed in school but suggesting to all the staff to have tests that day.

"Easy for you to say, Severus, a lot can change in a teenager's life in one month. You of all people should know that," Sirius said.

"You should be relieved that you are spared from the meaningless day-to-day drama," Severus sneered.

"Meaningless to us, perhaps, but not meaningless to her when she's going through it," Sirius said, shaking her head. "You're lucky; you get to see your daughter any time you want and interfere as much as you like, and so can Anna. I have to work at it."

"It isn't as easy as you might think, considering we both have other duties," Severus said quietly. "Although to be perfectly honest, it is good to know you do work at it."

"Well, I'd like to think I've learned from some of my mistakes. The first two had to live through my hell, and you know what came of that," Sirius murmured. "This one brought me out of it, so I'm going to make certain she never ends up as isolated from her parents as the other two were, even if that does include nosing around to make certain she's not into anything I don't know about. I doubt I'm going to get another shot at parenting, so I am doing my best to at least not screw this one up, and with any luck, redeem some of the poor decisions I made the first time around."

"I know what you mean," Hermione put in. "We didn't plan to have any more children, either, and yet now we have a fresh opportunity to fix all the little mistakes we made the first time around."

"Well, we certainly didn't plan to adopt Lindsay," Sirius said. "And I am sorry about what happened to the Thurspires, but next to Anna she is probably the best thing that ever happened to me, even if I wasn't expecting to be a father again."

"Whom exactly has everyone been talking to?" Severus asked flatly. Sirius gazed at him with genuine confusion, but he didn't miss the fact that Hermione looked somewhat amused so he focused in on her instead. "Well, regardless what you may have heard, stop it."

"It's more about what we haven't heard lately, Severus. Namely, Jennifer not speaking to you for days," Hermione admitted. "It wasn't hard to figure out why considering the way she was acting before."

"What? I thought she would have gotten over that last summer, considering how well the two of you had been getting along and all…" Sirius began, and then stopped when he saw Severus glaring at him murderously.

"I don't go around nosing into other people's personal lives, and I'd appreciate it if everyone would stay out of mine," Severus said.

"Well, what would be the fun in that?" Sirius said. But fortunately for everyone at the table, Severus didn't have time to respond for Jennifer had come in. After pausing to talk to Alicia and Alex, she walked over and sat down beside Severus, ignoring his look of surprise.

"I'm so glad I made it. I was a tad worried Dad was going to beat me here, but I suppose Maurice held him up in Honeydukes."

"Maurice is here?" Harry asked.

"Personal day," Severus said in a low voice. "Thomas doesn't like to exclude Maurice in anything he considers family business, although I also highly suspect that it being a Hogsmeade weekend played a factor in why Maurice wanted to come as well."

"No doubt about that," Sirius chuckled.

"Honestly, I hate it when he insists on including Maurice in some of it, especially when he brings him to the office," Harry put in. "A lot of it has to be well over his head."

"He put a lot more pressure on me when I was growing up, Harry," Jennifer protested, shaking her head. "And perhaps it's true that my father has never sugarcoated things as far as my brother is concerned, but from what I've seen at Hogwarts, it's been more of an asset than a setback for Maurice. Come to think of it, he's probably the most well adjusted Craw in over a century," Jennifer chuckled, only half-joking. "How I envy him!" Severus frowned in annoyance, taking interest in his drink rather than commenting.

"You didn't turn out that badly yourself, you know," Hermione protested. "I think considering the circumstances, you turned out rather well."

"Exceptionally," Severus agreed quietly, and Jennifer broke into a winning smile, wrapping her hand around his arm as if nothing had happened.

"Thank you," she said.

Just then Thomas came in with Maurice right behind him. Thomas took a moment to settle Maurice at the bar with his candy and drink before glancing around to make certain that everyone that was supposed to be there was there and no one else was present in the room. He gave Anna a dirty look when Brogan let her in a moment later, and sheepishly she sat down on the other side of Sirius.

He shook his head at her when he past their table, then stopped short when he saw Jennifer and Severus, glancing between them with a frown.

"Just when did you two make up? Oh, never mind, I'll find out later," Thomas said briskly, going through the rest of the tables before turning around to address everyone.

"With the exception of Brogan at the bar, is there anyone here that is in any shape or form working at this moment? If so, get out, especially if you've a job remotely related to the Ministry," Thomas said, glancing around seriously, but nobody moved.

"We are all here today by accident, by the way. Those of us not a part of the school simply picked today to take the day off. We just happened to all be craving Brogan's pork skins and dragonbreath sauce at the same time, and, being my business partner's bar, I just happened to drop by for a visit with my son and found so many people that I happen to know here enjoying themselves… or not, it doesn't make any difference to me. In short, we're all here at the same time completely by accident, which is about as believable as any of the other accidents that we've been having lately," Thomas said dryly. "Severus, how are things at the school?"

"Quiet at the moment," Severus said evenly. "I was quite public about the fact that I was taking extra precautions within the school, and I have also made it clear to staff, students and inquiring parents that the paw and the rest of those items are no longer on the school premises. Where are they now, by the way?"

"That's something only myself and the person holding them will know until I get to the bottom of this," Thomas said seriously. "Suffice it to say it is in third party hands, but I will keep you informed if anything unexpected begins happening on this end. I do think it rather interesting that nothing has happened to me, however, considering how many times I've handled it myself. Of course, that might be because despite my position in the Ministry, it's not me they're particularly worried about. I am not an item expert," he said. Severus glanced at Jennifer thoughtfully. "The three that have had supposed accidents were."

"They might be worried that we have discovered something," Jennifer said thoughtfully. "Whoever is behind this thinks that we might expose something about one or more of the items that were found that they don't want getting out."

"Correct," Thomas said with a nod. "At least, it is the most likely motive we have given what we know so far."

"Then it won't be enough to have removed those items from Hogwarts," Severus frowned. "Since they cannot be sure that Jennifer hasn't uncovered anything."

"A rather extreme method of insuring silence, isn't it?" Francis said quietly.

"Methodical," Severus mused.

"I agree," Anna said. "The first two were neatly done, considering had there been any evidence at all, none of us would even be meeting here now. And it's someone with no value for life in general, as if they were simply pawns that needed taken off a chessboard."

"Certainly the first two deaths are cleaner accidents than what has happened at the school so far. It makes me wonder if there is more than one person involved," Severus said.

"That's is quite likely actually, considering what we found out at the Ministry," Thomas said. "Although I doubt it's anything anyone wants to hear. Go ahead, Alexandria," he added, and Alex nodded from where she sat at a booth with Alicia and Francis.

"As most of you probably already know, I've been trying to follow up on the history of these items in the Ministry of Artifacts, especially the monkey paw since we knew for certain that it had passed through this country and the Ministry's hands before," Alex explained.

"And I did find one reference to it… there was a line on an old acquisitions scroll, stating that an 'unusual wishing fetish' had been 'recovered out of Muggle hands' after one of the men it had killed had been reported to them. However, that was the only record they had on it… no attached tests, not even a reference number that normally is put on any entry when the item is placed in Artifacts care. I thought that was rather curious, especially considering the paw was linked to a Muggle death, so I went to the _Daily Prophet's_ and I did a bit of research of Muggle papers as well. The media had been quite intrigued with the incident at the time, although it slowly died off when no more information was released about it. And the reason there wasn't any more information was because the monkey's paw was turned over to the Ministry of Mysteries," Alex concluded. Severus squinted. "However, I don't think they had it for long before it fell out of ministry hands. More than likely it was taken by one of their own agents, considering what it would have taken to get anything out of there otherwise."

"Still, the Ministry would probably have had the paw long enough to run tests on it, certainly," Severus said. "Tests and results that I'm certain any Minister of Mysteries would have access to… tell me, how is dear Ludo doing these days?"

"Still stewing, Severus," Thatcher Boltin assured him. "Even though I must admit he's a tough old bird…"

"Family only visitation restriction still on him?" Severus asked. Thomas tapped his fingers impatiently.

"Yes, Severus. For some reason, the current Minister of Law Enforcement protests any time his anniversary comes up," Boltin said with amusement.

"Severus, please, I've already asked Boltin all that, and I've checked with the current Minister of Mysteries on this subject. There are no records of any test results in their care," Thomas said.

"That does not surprise me. If there were something significant about that paw, Bagman would have most undoubtedly made that information disappear if it had gotten into his hands," Severus said.

"I agree, Severus, but that's still a lot of ifs and a lot of speculation," Thomas reminded him. "Besides, I've already asked Boltin to keep an eye on him," he added under his breath, Boltin smiling thinly at him in return.

"And what of the current Minister of Mysteries?" Severus asked.

"The current Minister is on our side about this issue, actually," Thomas said. "Which is why we were able to tell you that the paw did go through them."

"But it doesn't tell us how it was taken out, does it?"

"No, but I'm sure they're working on it… after hours, of course," Thomas added as an afterthought. Severus stared at him dubiously. "Scur, what's the report from the mine?"

"Well, first, I suppose I ought to update everyone on our findings on the corpses we found in the mine," Scur said, then nodded over to the back table. "Aurelius and Tonks came down for their insights in investigation, and the three of us came to the same conclusion as far as it was concerned; the apparent victor wasn't the victor."

"Meaning?" Sirius asked, confused. Scur glanced at Aurelius, but Aurelius was already looking at Thomas for approval. Thomas nodded.

"There were four skeletons in the room," Aurelius said. "Three were rather mangled with their wands shattered and scattered in the debris, while the third skeleton was simply sitting in a corner. When we were inspecting him, we found a wand beneath him, intact… and the way his hand was curled I wonder now if it hadn't been in placed in his hand at one point to make it look like he was the one who had cursed the others. We believe it might have been intentional, because no wizard lets himself suffocate in a cave when there's a wand in the room."

"What bothers us the most is the fact that they left the bag," Tonks put in. "If there was a fifth wizard in the room, he obviously had time enough to set one corpse up, so he should have had time to go over the others, I'd say. But apparently he didn't want anything to do with the satchel."

"Whoever did this must have thought the paw or something else in the bag was cursed as well, which is probably why he didn't touch it," Aurelius said. "At which point he made his escape."

"Wait, now you've got me," Harry interrupted. "I've been in that mine, and I know anything near that area was completely sealed against coming and going by Apparation. Even keys don't work in there, and wasn't this chamber cut off from both sides? I don't understand how they got out."

"Or even how they got in," Scur said.

"The paw might explain how they got in," Jennifer said. "But I'm not so certain that anyone got out. The fourth man could have simply been cursed by one of the others before they died and he didn't know how to counter it. That would explain why he didn't take the bag as well, wouldn't it?"

"Except for the fact that all the other wands were broken, and I doubt that breaking them was the last thing the victor did. It's more likely to have been one of the first things," Aurelius pointed out.

"Well, at the very least, it does prove more than ever that they were wizards, and if the last place that paw was seen was in the Ministry, one of them was from here," Hermione said. "Any luck finding out where those items came from? It might give us a clue at least where to start looking."

"I'm trying, but I've run into a slight obstacle in the Archives," Alex said, looking slightly irritated. "Namely, Plumeria Plum. She won't let anyone in or out unless she knows what they're doing and whether or not it's Ministry business, and when it isn't and she finds it interesting, she reports it directly to Draco."

"Let me try it. She won't ask as many questions if I go in there," Harry said. Scur cleared his throat.

"Also, I could use someone with appropriate credentials if any more investigations need to be done in Egypt," Scur said, Thomas raising an eyebrow at him. "Councilor Moussa skipped town on me and they're appointing someone new, and whomever that ends up is likely to take a second look at my papers."

"You idiot, I told you not to ask for more money," Brogan hissed, but Scur simply shrugged.

"All right, Rinan. I'll call in a favor and see if we can't get you some legitimate papers for a change," Thomas sighed. "Anything else?" he asked, but no one said anything. "Fine, have a drink on us. Nice bumping into all of you," he added dryly before joining Maurice and Earham at the bar. Everyone else began talking to each other at their tables.

"You know, I hate to say it," Harry said in a low voice after retrieving a pumpkin spiced cider off the drink tray. "But this would be a whole lot easier if Draco had let us handle this officially. We shouldn't have to be sneaking around to conduct a murder investigation, and it isn't as if Draco has much to worry about even if there is an election next year."

"Has anyone heard any likely candidates running against him?" Hermione asked, but they shook their heads.

"I imagine they'll do what they always do and announce it just before the Ministry Ball," Severus shrugged. "However, I think it should be the least of our priorities, don't you?"

"It should be the least of Draco's, too," Harry snapped.

"Harry, be reasonable," Anna sighed. "There's no evidence that any of this is anything other than an accident, and without some clear indication that this was foul play, the LE Ministry has no grounds to legally pursue it. So far, everything that's happened can be written off as circumstantial, no matter how unlikely it may seem to us."

"Not all of it is circumstantial," Jennifer protested. "What about those four men found in the chamber? It's obvious that they didn't die of natural causes."

"No, they definitely didn't," Hermione agreed. "But the problem with that is they were found out of the country… not that going to the local authorities is an option."

"No, they stay out of the mine's affairs unless they happen to cross paths and want to collect some made up fee they've come up with," Harry said thoughtfully. "Still, if we had some proof that one of them was in fact a British citizen, that should be enough to at least to get some preliminary investigation on their deaths, at least… I'll see what I can do."

"If you need any help drawing up the legal documents for that, let me know, Harry," Anna offered. "I know what Draco tends to scan for, and maybe if I hand it over, I can talk him out of turning it down."

"Better you than me," Harry agreed.

"Well, let us know if you need anything else, because I admit, I'm growing more curious now about the circumstances behind their deaths after what we heard today," Jennifer said. "Especially as to whether or not there was a fifth person and how they might have gotten out."

"Yes," Severus mused. "I wouldn't mind getting a look at that room myself. How do you feel about getting out of the castle next weekend?"

"I wouldn't mind going down there, but what about Halloween?" Jennifer said.

"Not to mention they're going to vote on that school board proposal that week," Hermione put in.

"Fine, but we will arrange something after next week," Severus said, a flash of determination in his black eyes. "There must be some logical explanation to what happened then and everything that is happening at the school, and now that I've gotten pulled into this thing, I really don't think I'm going to be satisfied until I figure out what that explanation is."


	17. Sympathy Pains

Chapter Seventeen

Sympathy Pains

When Aurelius was in a truly lousy mood, only one thing seemed to help. He sloshed down the wet streets of Hogsmeade past groups of cheerful students, pausing only a moment to wave to Corey through the shop window before trudging towards Keki's Grove.

The rain had let up, but only slightly; it was far from perfect conditions for riding. But Aurelius had to at least see Pali, knowing that the Unicorn would be quick to console him, even if he couldn't truly understand why. Sure enough, Pali arrived and put his head down next to his to comfort him, but his tail wished gently when he realized that Aurelius had more time to spend with him.

_There is little reason to be upset. All is well; you needed the rest, and I needed to see you. I am lonely when you are not here. I am lonely almost all of the time._

"Come on, how can you be lonely, Pali?" Aurelius said, and found himself comforting the Unicorn instead. "You have such a big family… mates, sisters, a brother, children, grandchildren…come to think of it, the entire herd is related to you in some way or another."

_It isn't the same. Family isn't enough. I don't know why._

"Well, I'm here right now," Aurelius reassured him, carefully crossing the gushing stream while holding on to Pali tiredly. In fact, he was growing more tired by the minute. But then Pali paused, so Aurelius looked up, a bit surprised to find that they were standing at the far edge of the Centaur Glen. He had not remembered walking it, too lost in Pali and his thoughts to have paid any true attention to where he was going.

_There she is. Isn't she strong?_

Aurelius glanced around to see what Pali was talking about and then saw her; a young mare just a year old who was so white that even in the drizzle light seemed to reflect off of her.

_She reminds me of my mother._

"I never met your mother, Pali," Aurelius reminded him.

_Yes, but you have met yours._

Aurelius tried to focus in, despite the fact that what he really wanted was to curl into the cabin and take a nap.

"That's Kesa, isn't it?" Aurelius said at last.

_Yes. She is quite bright and they all love her. I think she will be a good leader for the herd. Don't you?_

"No one could replace you, Pali," Aurelius protested, but he felt strangely unsettled when he put his hand on Pali again.

_She is stronger than I am now, and I think she is a good choice, but I would like to know if you think so too._

"There is more to being a leader than just being strong, Pali," Aurelius said. "Do you want to ride for a while?"

_You do not look like you're well enough for riding, and it is quite muddy. But do not leave me yet. I am still too lonely for you to leave yet._

Aurelius nodded and walked slowly with the Unicorn towards the rest of the herd, standing out with them and watching them graze until he at lost track of the time, quite unaware that on the other side of the glen, a lone centaur watched them solemnly.

Aurelius didn't regret the decision to stay until a few hours later when he attempted to get back to the cabin, hearing a wheeze in his cough. He also was quite certain he was running a temperature, and when he was finally able to focus in on himself in the mirror, he reluctantly decided to trudge to Sagittari's hut despite the cold winds that the rain had left behind.

Aurelius soon found himself quickly wrapped in a blanket and settled onto a stool, and it was not long before Sagittari was handing him a steaming flagon.

"This doesn't smell like a potion to me," Aurelius mumbled.

"It isn't," Sagittari admitted, pouring himself a smaller cup and stepping over to the table. "It is chicken broth with a small amount of couscous added in… perfect for someone who spent a day out in the rain. Careful not to burn yourself."

"This is all you're going to give me?" Aurelius asked critically.

"You did just spend several hours in the rain, did you not?" Sagittari asked.

"Of course I did. Pali needed me," Aurelius said grumpily. "I couldn't leave him, not when he was feeling so terribly lonely." Sagittari gazed at him steadily. "Even being around the herd wasn't helping, so I stayed with him until it eased up. It has been bothering him a lot lately, really…"

"Aurelius," Sagittari interrupted quietly, gazing at him steadily. "Aurelius, it isn't Pali who is lonely, it is you."

Aurelius stared at him.

"I'm not lonely," Aurelius said.

"Of course not. Pali is taking it from you," Sagittari explained with a thin smile. "It isn't intentional, Aurelius. It's quite subconscious, because the two of you are so very close. Pali wants nothing more for you to be well from any sort of suffering or pain, so he has taken that from you to protect you. He isn't aware that he's even doing it, he simply knows that he's lonely." Aurelius frowned. "It's a natural instinct for him… Unicorns do use telepathy as their means of primary communication between each other and to protect each other."

"But if it's my loneliness that's bothering Pali, I don't want him to have to bear it! I can't stand seeing him like this," Aurelius said angrily.

"I'm afraid there's nothing that I know of to stop it, unless you find a way to cut off each other completely…"

"No. I'll never do that. I can't, Sagittari. You don't know what you're asking," Aurelius said. "I'd never do that to Pali, and I can't do it for myself, don't you see?" Sagittari nodded solemnly at that.

"You had better finish your soup," Sagittari advised.

"I would be better off if you gave me something for this cough, or at least something to help me sleep so I'm not tired all the time," Aurelius said grumpily. Sagittari gazed at him steadily for a moment.

"Aurelius," he finally said with a sigh. "You are not the one who is ill."

Aurelius snapped his head up to stare at Sagittari as clarity stabbed him like a knife, nearly tumbling off his stool as he got to his feet.

"Pali! I'm feeling Pali!" Aurelius said in terror. "He's not just ill, he's horribly ill! Aren't you going to do anything?"

"I have been doing all I can, Aurelius," Sagittari said, his voice firm but as calm as possible, knowing it wouldn't be easy to hear. "Pali has had a lung infection for a while now, and I have been treating it, but Unicorn chemistry is quite different from yours and mine, and part of the cure is for Pali to be in good condition to begin with. But Pali is now getting on in years, and like most creatures as they get older, his immune system isn't as strong as it was when it was younger, and it has been a terribly cold and wet season. Perhaps if he had contracted it in the spring with warmer months ahead he would have gotten over it, but right now it is all I can do to keep it from getting worse. The constellation has been checking on him now and again as well, but only to observe since they won't go against the stars on this. And to be perfectly honest, Aurelius, my instincts as a veterinarian and the stars coincide on this matter. If Pali's condition doesn't improve soon, he won't last the winter." Aurelius stared at him, choking back tears as he threw off the blanket.

"He will get better," Aurelius said angrily. "He has to get better!" Aurelius then turned and ran out the door, leaving Sagittari alone with his own thoughts.

* * *

Severus was screeching away at his violin when Jennifer stepped into his sitting room with a tray, being as quiet as she could so not to disturb him. But he paused the moment he noticed her, gazing at her thoughtfully.

"I see you are back. How was the rest of the Hogsmeade trip?" Severus asked steadily.

"Very quiet with no accidents, thank you," Jennifer said, putting the tray on the table and sitting down.

"Yes, well, don't let your guard down," Severus advised.

"I don't intend to, Severus. Why don't you come eat since you seem to be done practicing?" Jennifer said.

"I had just begun, actually, attempting to work my head around that silly paw business," Severus said, putting his violin its case. "But right now I'm more intrigued by the fact you've decided to speak to me again. Does this mean you've finally forgiven my honesty?" Jennifer sighed, more than a little annoyed over the way he put that.

"Minerva and I had a long talk over the matter, and I've decided to respect your feelings about not having another child, provided you can respect my reasons for wanting one," Jennifer said. "If so, I've decided to call a temporary cease-fire."

"Cease-fire?" Severus frowned warily.

"Well, we are at an impasse, aren't we? You don't want another child and I do, but I certainly can't have one unless you change your mind, can I?" Jennifer said.

"I am not going to change my mind, Jennifer," Severus said firmly. Jennifer nodded.

"Yes, and I'm not going to change mine," Jennifer said, pouring milk into her tea. Severus squinted at her suspiciously, but Jennifer caught the look and the thoughts behind it, sighing with exasperation. "Really, Severus, what do you care if I call it a cease-fire or not? Even if it's a permanent cease-fire, you win, don't you? Regardless of how I feel about it."

"I do care how you feel about it, Jennifer, I simply disagree," Severus said.

"Obviously," Jennifer said curtly. "So why don't we drop it now?"

"But I also don't want you pining over something that isn't going to happen, either. Can't you simply accept the fact that we're not having any more children so we can move on to other things?"

"No, I can't," Jennifer snapped. "No, I just can't bear it at the moment, so don't you dare ask me again! I'm trying to respect your decisions, you can at least have the decency to respect my decision to not give up all hope!"

Severus frowned and didn't say anything at first, despite the fact he didn't think her pretending there might be a chance was very healthy for her. Still, what could he do? At least Minerva had somehow managed to talk her into speaking to him again, he mused, and then sighed.

"Very well, Jennifer, I won't comment about the milk thing anymore," Severus said resignedly. Jennifer brightened dramatically.

"Thank you, Severus," she said happily, ignoring his concerned expression. "I hope you don't mind, but I thought we might try something new today. Do you like cheese and broccoli?"

"I haven't the foggiest idea," Severus admitted, and decided it was safer to try the stuffed oysters instead. Just then, they heard a sound like someone clearing their throat. "What is it, Armando?"

"An immediate entry in your appointment book, Professor. Aurelius is on his way up," Armando said.

"I wonder what's wrong? He didn't look well today, and he was angry at Harry about something…" Jennifer started worriedly.

"I'll take care of it, Jennifer. If it's in that book, it's something he wants to handle professionally," Severus said, quickly getting up and going to the Headmaster's Study, closing the door behind him.

Jennifer got up, frowning at the door.

"I wouldn't try it," Armando advised. "After all, they both have snoop chains on."

"I wouldn't have tried listening in, if that's what you're implying," Jennifer retorted, but the portrait gazed back at her dubiously. "Oh, go back to work and leave me alone," she said, sitting back down to her dinner.

Armando shrugged, returning back to his painting in the study and falling into a light snooze even as Severus settled down at his desk and waved the doors open. It was not long before Aurelius hurried up the spiral stairs, looking quite haggard. His eyes went to the open curtain and the closed door before he stepped into the room.

"You're not a student, you know. You can use the Door Lift if you like," Severus said calmly, sorting through the post on his desk.

"Forgot it was there," Aurelius said, glancing at the appointment book, which was closed. "Do you have a minute or two? I want to ask you about something."

"The door wouldn't have been open, if I didn't," Severus said. At the reminder, Aurelius quickly shut the doors behind him. "What did you want to ask me?"

"I was wondering if there was any way I could have a phial of the Elixir," Aurelius said, Severus gave him a sharp look. "For my Chest Cloak… you know, in case of emergencies… it's not what you're thinking!" he finally sputtered out, seeing that his father had already guessed what he had in mind. "What if… what if something were to happen? You know what I do for a living, something could come up…"

"Aurelius, you keep five kinds of healing potions and a phial of Phoenix tears on you, do you not?"

"And I would use those first, of course, in any situation, and use the Elixir of Life as a last resort. Really, Father, I do help protect this secret, it wouldn't be something I'd use lightly. But what with the accidents going on and all… well, you never know, do you?" Aurelius said. Severus gazed at him steadily. "Surely you can trust me with one for an emergency. You've always told us to be prepared for anything."

"Albus, would you get a phial out of the safe for me?" Severus said, glancing at the portrait. The portrait of Dumbledore gazed at him questioningly before leaving the frame, and Severus got up and walked over to it.

"I will give you one for emergencies, Aurelius, but there is something you ought to know first," Severus said quietly. "It isn't going to work."

"What?" Aurelius asked, startled.

"It isn't going to work on Unicorns," Severus said evenly as Dumbledore came back with a prismatic phial and Severus took it out of the painting. "Unicorns are inundated with the purest form of wild magic… the magic born of life itself… protected through their material forms from the taint of the rest of the world around them. They move through it rather than around it, a part of it and yet also detached from it, and within their veins lies a powerful mix of magic and matter at its finest level of coexistence. This is why their blood has properties over life and death… and also why the Elixir of Life won't have any effect on them." Severus glanced back over to Aurelius who was standing with his mouth clamped shut, his face pale. "If anything, if you were to try, it's quite possible that it would do more harm to Pali then good, since some of the ingredients would be foreign to a Unicorn and most decidedly not pure. It is a formula that goes against the natural order of life itself, and therefore it goes against everything that a Unicorn is. It could possibly corrupt him, Aurelius, perhaps even kill him."

"How did you know," Aurelius murmured, tiredly sitting down. "How did you know that was what I wanted it for?"

"Well, first off, because I cornered Sagittari earlier in the year to find out why he was spending so much time in the Dark Forest," Severus admitted, walking over with the phial in his hand. "And second, because Truth Seekers make the worst liars in the world. I would have thought you would have figured that out by now," he chided him, holding it out. Aurelius tried to wave it away. "Here, take it. Put it in your cloak anyway; I know you used that as an excuse, but perhaps there will some day come a time when we're both very glad you have one on you. And if you don't mind my making a suggestion, Corey's Fae Apple tree is probably starting to bear fruit. And although they certainly won't cure Pali, they may help him feel better and ease the effect that his illness is having on you at the same time."

"I just want him to get better," Aurelius murmured.

"We all want him to get better, Aurelius, for his sake and yours," Severus said in a low voice. "Sagittari is doing what he can, even if he is uncertain if it will be enough."

"He has to get better," Aurelius said fervently. "If anything happens to him, I'll just die, I know it."

"Come now, there's no need to be dramatic, that isn't like you," Severus said. "You look as if you could use some rest. Why don't you take a few days off, and then you can help take care of Pali and take care of yourself at the same time?"

"Harry, beat you to it, Father," Aurelius said dryly. "He gave me time off already."

"Good, then I won't have to insist," Severus said. "Your mother or I will be out to visit tomorrow sometime."

"I won't be much company," Aurelius said, slowly getting up.

"In this I believe your mother will insist," Severus admitted. "Take the Door Lift on your way out."

"Yes, Father," Aurelius said, and although he was much more subdued than he had arrived, Severus hadn't missed his discouraged expression as he left the room.


	18. Personal Feathers of Irwindale Chance

Chapter Eighteen

The Personal Feathers of Irwindale Chance

Natalie couldn't help but be delighted when she settled into the Owl Room the next morning. Not only had Maurice brought her candy from Hogsmeade, but Ambrose came in and handed her a bag as well.

"I was so disappointed when I found out I'd be stuck here in the castle, but now it's almost as if Hogsmeade has come to me!" Natalie said, delighted.

"Maybe you should ask Uncle Corey if you could just come home one of those weekends. He might let you," Winnie suggested.

"Maybe I should, then perhaps I can pick up some things to use on our picnics," Natalie said.

"Like a bigger umbrella," Winnie agreed.

"Picnics?" Ambrose asked curiously.

"I almost forgot, you haven't heard about them, have you?" Natalie said. "You see, my mother used to tell us stories about the picnics she used to have out in the back courtyard near that willow tree back there, so I decided to have one myself! It's true we could have used a bigger umbrella between myself, Ronnie, Winnie, and Emily, but the Elf Willow tree really seemed to like me and was really helpful keeping the rain off. Would you like to come next weekend? I'm inviting Uncle Maurice too, so you won't be the only boy there."

"Yeah, that sounds fun!" Ambrose said.

"What about you, Lucky?" Natalie asked. "It'd be like a family Hogwarts gathering!"

"I dunno, maybe. It depends. I gotta study, and we're still tryin' to get the last of the funds for the stands," Lucky said. "Maybe we can do something at Halloween again."

"Yes, you'll like Halloween, Natalie! We have a big ball and all the ghosts are invited and everything!" Ambrose said.

"That's splendid! We should all get together and plan something!" Natalie said. "As long as Emily can come too!"

"Sure, why not? You can come sit with us and we'll have out own little party, right Winnie?" Ambrose said.

"Yes, it'll be fun!" Winnie said. "I could grab some cards for wizard rummy."

"We'll have to teach Emily how to play, though," Natalie said.

"Sure we can!" Ambrose said.

Lucky blinked, watching the exchange as Ambrose began to chat with the younger students, frowning as they began to make plans for Halloween. And even though she knew she was hardly being excluded from their plans, she had little interest in them either, for they kept coming up with party games that Lucky wouldn't be caught dead playing at her age. They then began an in depth discussion about Chocolate Frog cards quoting details of people that Lucky never even heard of, ooo'ing and aaah'ing over one or the other acquiring a rare card and bragging about how many packs they had to open to find one.

She heard a chuckle behind her and looked up to see Dale standing there with a steaming mug in his hand, holding it out to her. Gratefully, she took the cup of coffee, smelling it contentedly.

"Hey, thanks! Who'd you have to kill for it? It smells like Jackie's," Lucky said, sipping it then nodding to herself in confirmation.

"It is… I smuggled it out. I go down to the lab to work on my items project and help her straighten up her office on Sunday mornings," Dale explained.

"Yeah, right. I bet she just uses you to fetch ingredients out of her potion vault for her," Lucky said knowingly.

"A lot of the time, yes," Dale admitted. "I think she's getting better, though, because even if she still won't go in the vault, I noticed that before the rain let up this morning the windows right behind her desk stayed closed the entire time."

"Yeah, I guess that's better," Lucky said. "Although I'd feel a lot better if we could find out for sure who's behind all this so I don't have to worry about it anymore. You didn't see Heron when you were down there, did you?"

"No, Lucky. Actually, he's probably out of the castle today. Laura was saying at breakfast today that he was planning to look for cursed items for his advanced classes to test," Dale said.

"Yeah, he told us that too," Lucky said. "Funny if he's supposed to be an expert at items that nobody asked him to check out Grandfather's stuff."

"Well, he is a foreigner, Lucky…"

"Who isn't?" Lucky retorted.

"Well, I'm only a part-time foreigner, really," Dale joked. "Besides, I think the only reason you think it's him is because it's obvious the two of you have a well… personality clash."

"That and I hate him," Lucky retorted. "Look, we both know curses is his specialty, and he's definitely had the opportunity."

"Yes, but we still don't have a motive," Dale said.

"Maybe not," Lucky admitted, "but he's still the most likely suspect we got. I don't think anyone else on staff would've done it."

"And who is most likely among the students?" he asked.

"Don, who else?" Lucky said.

"Well, he has the motive, at least, but if it was him, I think he'd have been caught by now," Dale said, glancing over at the group of younger students who were debating who the greatest Quidditch player of all time was and laughing at each other's choices. "So, I know I'll probably be sorry for asking this, but, I suppose you're hanging out with Ambrose again this year for Halloween?"

"Nah," Lucky said, gazing at them at the end of the table one more time before making a random grab for a book. "I think I'll skip it this time."

"Skip it?" Dale echoed.

"Yeah, you know, studying. I got OWLS this year," Lucky said.

"Ouch, Lucky, you're using studying to get out of going out with me this year?" Dale frowned.

"No, seriously. I got a lot of work to do, and I have to get my Defense marks up before Christmas or I'll never hear the end of it," Lucky protested.

"All right, Lucky, you win. I promised Madame Brittle I'd do a set with the Four Winds, but after that, I'll come help you study," Dale said. Lucky blinked in surprise.

"You don't have to do that. I don't want to ruin your fun, or anything…"

"Fun?" Dale chuckled. "I've already been asked out by nearly ever girl in the school under the age of thirteen, and the last thing I want to do is show up alone with every one of them looking for me. Studying sounds much safer, actually."

"Yeah, but we're supposed to report to our rooms unless we're in the Great Hall, and you're a Ravenclaw," Lucky said.

"I'll ask Boulderdash if we can study here, then," Dale said. Lucky gnawed on her lip. "Then it'd just like studying together on any other day, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah, but people might get the wrong idea…"

"And knowing you, if they do, you'll kindly rearrange it for them," Dale said. "Come into the Great Hall at least long enough to eat and I can finish the set, and then we'll ditch the ball and hit the books. Sound fair?"

"Fine, as long as Boulderdash is okay with it," Lucky sighed.

"Then I'll go ask him," Dale said, getting up while Lucky turned her attention back to her coffee. But as she took a drink, she saw something out of the corner of her eye and squinted when she noticed a sudden flurry of brown feathers falling into the bottom of the box.

"Yes!" Dale whispered audibly as stepped out, pumping his fist in a sign of victory. Boulderdash's ear twitch and he looked up quite baffled when he saw the teen standing by the door apparently congratulating himself in rather annoying whispers before finally striding over to the desk. Boulderdash eyed him warily.

"The self-help books are in aisle one and I have a very reliable potion book concerning unstable mental conditions in the restricted section. I'll write the pass for you myself," Boulderdash decided.

"Actually, I need a different kind of help," Dale said. Boulderdash looked at him dubiously. "Is there any way you can leave the library open on Halloween so some of us can study?"

"Current security rules up until now state that students should be either in the Great Hall or their house rooms on Halloween, Mr. Chance," Boulderdash said.

"But some of us have tests right after Halloween… and it wouldn't be as if we weren't supervised by an advisor, would it, if you were here?" Dale said, Boulderdash still eyeing him suspiciously. "Wouldn't you rather be in here reading than get stuck at a noisy party filled with screaming students?"

"You are the one they're usually screaming at, Mr. Chance," Boulderdash snarled with a sneer that Dale recognized as goblin amusement. Dale grinned.

"Oh, I'll be there for the first half hour or so, like I promised Madame Brittle, but honestly, I'd rather be here studying if it's okay with you," Dale said.

"It isn't up to me, Mr. Chance," Boulderdash reminded him. "I have no objections to keeping the library open that night, but I have no say in school policies on security matters. You'll have to ask the Headmaster if it's all right," he said. Dale's face fell. "As long as it's all right with him, it's all right with me." Dale thought about it a moment.

"Professor Craw is in charge of security, isn't she? Can't I just ask her? I'm sure she has the authority to approve it." Dale suggested. Boulderdash looked back up from his book with a glint in his eye.

"I suppose," Boulderdash slurred warily, wondering if that would put her at odds with Severus again.

"I'll go ask then," Dale said, hurrying out of the room, deciding to try the office first.

But as he was walking down the corridor towards the Great Hall, he noticed her coming out of the staff room and called out to her. She paused a moment to see who it was and then smiled, stepping out of the doorway.

"Yes, Dale?" Professor Craw asked curiously. But before he could say anything, the Headmaster stepped out just behind her.

"Actually, do you have a moment? I wanted to ask you about something," Dale said, and Snape squinted at him. "School related," he added nervously.

Craw gazed at Dale over her spectacles for a moment, and then smiled.

"I don't have a problem with Boulderdash keeping the library open on Halloween for students who'd rather study, Dale, provided he stays there to supervise, you're in your rooms by curfew, and you don't linger in the halls," Professor Craw said. Snape glanced at her thoughtfully.

"Thanks, Professor Craw! I'll tell Librarian Boulderdash it's okay then," Dale said cheerfully.

"Please let him know that I'll be by later on to speak with him about it," Craw said.

"Thanks, I will," Dale said, humming as softly as he walked down the hall.

Jennifer chuckled softly.

"That was rather odd, wasn't it?" Severus murmured, Jennifer gazing at him questioningly in response. "Why in the world didn't he want to ask that around me? It isn't as if it was something I would have objected to."

"I rather think he was worried that you'd object because of who he's planning to study with, Severus," Jennifer said, openly amused by the change in his expression.

"Good lord, he finished his first personal goal," Severus said, horrified.

"You knew you were going to have to share her sometime, Severus," Jennifer teased with a chuckle.

"We just got to the point where we could sit down and have a conversation together," Severus said with frustration.

"Yes, I know," Jennifer said with a smile. "I think that's why Lucky finally feels comfortable enough to give Dale a bit of slack as well, don't you?"

"It had better not be much slack," Severus growled, and Jennifer had to force back another chuckle. "And it had better be a _long_ time before he finishes his second personal goal."

"Oh, I doubt it," Jennifer said, getting a dirty look in response as they walked down the hall.

Lucky was still waiting for Dale to arrive back in the Owl Room and trying to think up another excuse to get out of studying with him if he succeeded when Bobby walked in, looking around.

"No Dale?" he asked.

"Nah, he went to take care of something," Lucky said.

"Good. Come out here so I can talk to you alone for a moment," Bobby said. Ambrose looked up curiously from the pack, and Lucky shrugged at him before following Bobby out. Bobby zigzagged between the bookshelves to the far side of the room, well at of sight of the door and Boulderdash's desk.

"So?" Lucky said impatiently, while Bobby was still peering around the corner.

"I was wondering if Dale was bugging you about the Halloween thing again this year," Bobby said.

"Boy, is he," Lucky snorted.

"Well, I know a way to get him off your back this year," Bobby said with a smug expression. "All you have to do is agree to go out with me, because since he's my best friend, he's practically duty bound to stay out of it," he concluded. Lucky squinted at him.

"What about Lindsay?" Lucky asked.

"Actually, she's been a bit miffed at me lately. She thinks I've been looking at other girls," Bobby grumbled. Lucky stared at him. "Look, we both know it was never me she was really interested in anyway, and I was thinking since you don't want to be bothered by Dale, we could team up, and maybe they'll find their way together at the same time and then we'll all get what we want."

"Yeah, there's only one problem with that," Lucky said.

"What one problem?" Bobby said with a frown.

"I don't date jerks," Lucky said, stomping back through the library and muttering in Spanish loud enough that students peered up from their tables wondering what she was going on about time.

Bobby sighed, wondering how long he should wait for her to cool down before attempting to go back in the Owl Room when he noticed Dale walk in and go over to the desk to say something to Boulderdash. Fear suddenly gripped him as he began wondering how much Lucky would say, and he hurried to get inside the Owl Room before Dale had a chance to turn around. Lucky gave him a dirty look but went back to her Transfiguration homework, pointedly ignoring him, while Ambrose and the others greeted him warmly.

"Well, it's all settled," Dale said, taking his seat. "Professor Craw said it was all right for Boulderdash to keep the library open for students on Halloween, so anyone who wants is allowed to come here to study instead of going to the Great Hall."

"What? Nobody's going to want to come here and study on Halloween, no matter what tests and homework they throw at us to try and keep us in line," Bobby snorted.

"Says you! I'm going to study. Everyone going is a jerk, anyway," Lucky said, glaring at him so menacingly that Bobby quieted right down.

"Me too?" Dale taunted her.

"Naw, you're workin', you're excused," Lucky snorted.

"And me?" Ambrose asked, peering over from the other side of the table.

"You're too young to be a jerk still," Lucky said.

"Well, I think I'll go see what Laura and Lindsay are up to," Bobby decided, leaving quickly.

"If I were them, I'd be sharpening my nails," Lucky said, shaking her head. Dale knew better than to get in the way when Lucky was mad at someone and turned the conversation towards homework.

* * *

Lucky was going through her books and gathering which ones she wanted to take with her when Connie came in, twirling around in her new jack-o-lantern dress and her hair braid and twisted in the back, remind Lucky of a droopy pretzel.

"So what do you think?" Connie asked. Lucky shrugged.

"You look pretty good, but aren't you making a lot of fuss considering you're date is a partially beheaded ghost?" Lucky asked.

"That's no excuse for me not my best, and at least I have a date. Are you really planning to go to the library still? I was sure you'd change your mind, what with Dale singing at all…"

"What?" Lucky said in disgust. "That's one of the reasons I wanna get outta there! You know what those first year Ravenclaws are like! They're nothin' but a pack of groupies! I'll spare myself the scene," she snorted.

"Are you really that jealous?" Connie asked curiously.

"Jealous? You gotta be kiddin' me!" Lucky snorted. Connie watched her thoughtfully as Lucky gathered the rest of her things. Shrugging it off, she experimentally tested her new compact before following Lucky towards the Great Hall. "I just don't like the way they treat him, that's all… the way they swoon an' fawn over him, it's disgusting!"

"Oh, so that's not all right, but treating him like dirt all the time is?" Connie tsked. "Really, Lucky, you are so immature at times!" Lucky stared at her, wondering what had gotten into Connie and wondering if somehow the dress had messed with her head.

Gladder than ever that she wasn't staying, she waited only long enough for Connie to turn her head and look around the Great Hall before Lucky made her way towards the tables to get something to eat. At first she scrunched her nose at the selection, until she noticed a round container at the end of the table and immediately regained interest, pulling a tortilla out and then began plopping various dishes onto it that made all the passing students cringe.

On the other side of the room, Lucky saw Ambrose, Natalie, Winnie and several other younger students gathered. Even Maurice sat tolerantly nearby with his group of friends with a calm expression reminding Lucky more of a doting father rather than that of a first year. Helena and Pimra had adopted Myrtle and Noah and the four of them were hanging out together, while Dirk was dutifully standing with Melissa, who had her arms crossed as if vexed over something. Connie had teamed up with not only Nick but also Gary, who was wearing new dress robes of his own. Bobby, Lindsay and Laura were busy setting up a small booth near the door for students to buy corsages, and Lucky scowled and folded her arms when she saw how Bobby and Lindsay were doting over each other.

Deciding she didn't want to mess with any of it since she wasn't staying, Lucky loaded her plate and took a seat near the buffet table well away from the rest of the Owls but with a good view of the room.

It wasn't long after she started eating that she heard high pitched chatter and rolled her eyes when she saw several of the Ravenclaw girls walking over to the table and began picking at it. Lucky did a double take, wondering why they were all wobbling and realized that most of them were wearing high heels. At least Kim had chosen Ultra-lites on instead, but made up for her practical choice by wearing a very unpractical dress in which she had to pick up by the skirts to keep them from dragging the floor.

"Do you think I look older with my hair this way?" Paula asked.

"Does it matter?" Shauna asked. "It isn't like he'd even give us a second look. Did you hear how cold he treated that Hufflepuff girl when she asked him the other day?"

"Well, I don't blame him. She had some nerve even asking him, considering who her boyfriend is," Kim said, pulling at her sleeves. "Has anyone heard who he's really going with?"

"Well, I think it's obvious it's not that Snape girl," Paula said with distaste, noticing her near the table.

"Hush, she'll hear you!" Shauna hissed, but Lucky pretended not to hear any of it, too busy scarfing her food as quickly as possible so that she could get out of there.

"I think I'm just going to have some tidbits off the relish tray tonight," Kim decided, glancing sideways at Lucky's abhorrent eating habits. "I'm watching my figure. I really don't want to turn into a cow."

Just then Lucky got up, and the girls gasped and backed up, despite the fact she looked quite calm as she grabbed a carrot stick off the plate in front of Kim.

"You have nothin' to worry about, you know," Lucky said, biting into the carrot.

"I wasn't worried," Kim said defensively.

"That's good," Lucky said. "'Cuz there's no point watching your figure if you don't have one," she said evenly, leaving the girl flustered as she strode off to take care of her plate and refill her cup.

As she stepped away from the table, Delia and Mike ran up, both out of breath.

"Lucky, come quick! I think a fight is going to break out at our fund raising table!" Delia said.

"What now?" Lucky frowned.

"Bobby said he heard Lindsay asked Dale out and he's flipping out about it," Delia explained quickly.

"What?" Lucky stared.

"Well, I didn't tell anyone, honest!" Delia said.

"I don't care who told right now," Lucky said, waving it off and ran over, slowing down when they close. Laura was sitting behind the table surrounded by carnations looking completely serene, while beside her, Lindsay looked quite red faced, with Bobby leaning on the table in front of her.

"Look, I said I was sorry, didn't I? Can't you just drop it so we don't make a scene?" Lindsay pleaded.

"Drop it? And pretend it didn't happen? I thought you would have grown up and gotten over it by now, and maybe you'd just stop using me for someone who just happens to be convenient. I don't like being treated second all the time, thanks, especially to someone who isn't even interested in you in the first place. And that you'd go behind my back and make a pass at my best friend is absolutely indecent! I have half a mind to end it right now!" Bobby said.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea!" Lucky snapped. Delia's eyes went wide-eyed, but then so did Bobby's.

"I thought you came over to help me?" Delia hissed.

"I thought you went to the library," Bobby stammered.

"Yeah, well, I thought it was time that my cousin woke up and realized what a creep you are," Lucky said. "He asked me out first, Lindsay, before he talked to you."

"He what?" Lindsay said in surprise.

"That's not what I said!" Bobby said.

"Oh yeah, he gave me a story about how me going out with him would help you because if I was dating him, you'd have a better chance with Dale because he'd never ask me out again if I was going with his best friend," Lucky said. Lindsay took a moment to absorb that, nodding slowly.

"You're right. Dale would never do that," Lindsay said quietly.

"Well, it isn't as if it was me you ever wanted anyway, is it?" Bobby challenged her.

Lindsay got up and slapped him across the face so hard that nearly everyone in the Great Hall heard it. She stormed off to find her mother, while Bobby went the other way, looking annoyed when several of his friends came over just to find out what that was all about.

On the other side of the room, Severus shook his head, moving away from Anna who had to quickly excuse herself because Lindsay had come to her in tears.

"And Sirius is upset because he misses this sort of thing?" Severus murmured to Jennifer. He meant it as a dry joke, but Jennifer didn't seem to be in much humor for it. She was standing with her arms folded and a distant look on her face as she glanced out at the crowd. "Is something wrong? Do you want to move closer to one of the fireplaces? You look rather cold."

"It isn't that sort of chill, Severus," Jennifer murmured, Severus looked at her questioningly. "I don't know, I just get the feeling something terrible is going to happen."

"Are you certain it isn't just the fact that it's Halloween, Jennifer?" Severus asked, and Jennifer sighed.

"I don't know. Perhaps," Jennifer admitted.

"Excuse me, Professor?" Severus glanced around to see Janus Craw floating in from the very back wall of the room.

"Something wrong, Janus?" Severus asked.

"Oh, it's Icarus again, actually," Janus said, lowering his voice to make certain none of the students nearby could hear. "He's locked himself in the tower again and is wailing like a banshee. I've tried my best to calm him down, but he keeps repeating that it's too depressing for him to come out and that he couldn't bear it and to call him when it was over."

"Over? What was over?" Severus said with a frown, quite certain that it wasn't a reference to the ball.

"That's all he would say. Any time I ask him for more than that, he starts wailing again and acts worse than before so I simply stopped. Is Doctor Black here by chance?" Janus asked.

"Zack is in the kitchen with Peeves, but feel free to barge in," Severus said. "And please remind Icarus that I do have it in writing in his contract that he is not to let these haunted depressions detract from this school or his students, and I will take issue with him if he doesn't keep that agreement."

"I'm not certain he's thinking clearly enough for that to hit home, but I'll remind him," Janus sighed, floating back through the wall. Severus grew thoughtful, looking over at Jennifer for a moment before leading her over towards the fireplace, scanning the room.

"Do you still think it's just me?" Jennifer asked.

"No," Severus admitted. "So I think I'm going to have a quick word with Fortuna before she takes off," he decided. Jennifer nodded and tried to take her mind off of her worries by watching Corey and his band as they finally finished setting up.

As he was walking over to where she stood talking to Laura by the door, a squealish scream erupted and he turned to see Dale had just hopped onto the stage in a plain black turtleneck and pants and students were immediately crowded in. Severus turned around and rolled his eyes, Lucky grinning when she saw it because she had just done the same thing.

"Lucky, are you planning on leaving soon?" Severus asked when he got close enough.

"Yeah, just now, I think I can deal without that headache," Lucky snorted, trying to clean her ears from the scream.

"I really don't blame you. I would be hiding too if I thought I could get away with it," Severus admitted in a low voice. "Something may be amiss, so I would prefer rather you stayed in one place tonight. I don't mind this new arrangement of keeping the library open, but please do not linger in the halls and stay out of them until you're ready to return to your rooms."

"You think there's going to be trouble?" Lucky frowned.

"Let's just say that I prefer on to err on the side of caution, and I'd also prefer it if you did the same. I'll know if you're not where you're supposed to be," he added as a last warning.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Lucky said. Knowing that was probably the best he would get out of her, Severus went back over to where Jennifer was standing.

"Have fun, Lucky," Laura said with a grin when she saw Lucky reach behind their table for her books.

"What? I'm just studying!" Lucky scowled, slightly annoyed when Laura's grin didn't let up and so ducked out of the room to avoid it.

She was just going into the library as Professor Heron was coming out with a few books in hand, and he paused at her with a frown when she stopped short to stare at him.

"Well, move along! You know the rules, no hall lingering on Halloween, although just why that's true I'll never understand," Heron said, and Lucky went in, aware that Heron stood watching her a few minutes before finally moving on.

Boulderdash sat at the main desk in the library, contentedly reading and enjoying the quiet. Much to Lucky's surprise, there was a small handful of other students there as well who had decided to duck out of the ball for one reason or another, and Lucky felt a bit relieved that she wasn't the only one there. However, she did realize that she was the only Owl there when she peered into the dark storage room, and rather than sit completely by herself, she decided to choose an out of the way table in the main library instead.

She took her time laying out her books and looking over watching she wanted to work on, getting out a nice long piece of parchment and testing her Never-dry Quill experimentally before frowning at the clock behind Boulderdash's desk. She stared at the books, but couldn't really concentrate on them, nor was even remotely interested in working on any of them. Frowning, Lucky put her quill to the parchment as if willing herself to do it, gazing at the fact she had successfully numbered and put her name on her homework and wondered if that would count as progress. Why was time moving so slow? Irritated at herself, Lucky pulled out her History book, deciding that her reading assignment was her best bet. But it wasn't until the twentieth time she looked up that she saw Dale peering into the Owl Room, but he finally turned around and spotted her, so grabbed his books out of the room then came over to sit at her table.

"What took you so long?" Lucky asked, sounding much more annoyed than she had intended to sound.

"Sorry, I came as soon as I could. I finally slipped out the back," Dale whispered. "And that wasn't as easy as all that either, because Professor Snape decided to stand in front of the door and ask me detailed questions as to what we were planning to study and wanted an estimate of how much homework he could expect us to get done before he would let me leave."

"He always makes a big deal out of nothing," Lucky snorted. "I ended up with a speech myself. I don't get it, why does everyone here get so nervous every Halloween? I mean like the early curfew and the extra rules and all… you know, Weasley has always warning us not to get magic mixed up with superstitions, but even she gets edgy."

"I'm sure there's more to it than simple superstition, Lucky," Dale said. "I bet it has to do with something that's happened on Halloween in the past. After all, the school went through some really rocky times before Professor Snape took over. I don't suppose there might be a clue in any of these?" he wondering, pulling out her history book from the bottom of her stack.

Boulderdash was silently creeping behind a bookshelf to nab the two noisy students on the other side, but when he peered around the corner, he saw them dutifully looking over a history book. He slumped in disappointment, glaring at them menacingly before trudging back to his desk.

But it wasn't long before Lucky's mind began to wander, and she propped up her head and watched him boredly for a moment until at last she got out her Defense book.

"Well, I don't see anything about Halloween in here. Voldemort was defeated in May and Ciardoth in February," Dale mused. "Honestly, I was expecting more than that."

"I bet Scribe gets into more detail when we get into that section though," Lucky said, and Dale grinned at her.

"And then you'll probably find out more than you ever wanted to know about it," he said with amusement. "Although in a way I agree with how she likes to tear apart everything like she does. History really ought to be more than dates and numbers. If you take it next year, you'll end up spending more time writing your research paper and less time having to memorize stuff, if that's any consolation."

"Some consolation," Lucky said, going back to the Defense book. Dale peered over her shoulder curiously.

"Wow, you're far in. Is Heron going through it that fast, or are you reading ahead?" Dale asked.

"Reading ahead. It helps me guess what sort of stupid demonstration he's going to pull up next," Lucky said.

"Aren't you getting into cursed items now?" Dale murmured.

"Yeah," Lucky said. "But I bet whatever he's planning for us, it won't answer my questions."

"Then ask him," Dale whispered with a grin. "It's not like he can stop you, and it'd be in front of the whole class so he'll have to say something. Besides, I know for a fact that he'll have to have a second member of staff in the room if he's testing cursed items for safety reasons, so if you are going to test him at all, that'll be the time."

"Good point," Lucky said, but turned thoughtful when Dale was getting out his homework. "You still don't think it's him, do you?"

"Well, it would be a little too obvious," Dale admitted, Lucky frowning at that. "And just because he has had a knack for curses doesn't mean he's actually using it. Your mother knows more dark magic than just about anyone, but she isn't out killing people. Still, you are right he has had both the means and opportunity, but I'm also quiet sure he wasn't the only one. But I tell you what… I'm allowed access to any books on items in the library, since it's my major, including the ones in the restricted section. Maybe it's time we pulled some out of there and did some comparing. Besides, it'd get you another step ahead on your Defense class, wouldn't it?"

"Works for me," Lucky agreed, watching as Dale slipped to the back, glancing at her homework without actually doing much with it. The moment he got back, it was all swiftly pushed to the side and Dale cautiously opened two of the books, glancing through them before handing one to Lucky so that they could look at them in further detail.

They were still sitting there pouring over the books when Boulderdash came looking for them, tapping his foot impatiently waiting for one of them to look up until finally he gave up and cleared his throat. The growling sound was so startling in the quiet room that both of them jumped and turned around.

"Lost in our work, are we?" Boulderdash sneered with amusement. "Time to be packing up if you're going to make curfew."

"What, already? But we just got here," Dale protested.

"That was ninety minutes ago, Mr. Chance. Come, now, rules are rules… and just why are you reading this, Miss Snape?" he added, squinting suspiciously at the tome entitled _Insidiously Inconvenient Items._

"I was helping her study ahead for Defense," Dale explained quickly as Boulderdash paused to peruse the copy of _Dastardly Devices for All Occasions._

"I see," Boulderdash said, retrieving both of the books. "Your privileges do not extend to people you happen to be studying with, Mr. Chance, unless approved by her Professor, which it is not. Do not let me catch you doing that again, or you'll find yourself having to go directly to me over any books you might need in there and not being allowed back there at all."

"Yes, Librarian Boulderdash," Dale said ruefully, picking up his books as Boulderdash moved to the next table. "Come on, Lucky. I'll walk you to your house rooms."

"What? No thanks, someone might get the wrong ideas," Lucky scowled. Dale sighed with exasperation.

"Students aren't supposed to be walking alone in the halls on Halloween anyhow, and at least I have the excuse of being a prefect," Dale explained. "Besides, it's going to be bad enough when the Professor asks me how much homework we got done tonight, which he will more than likely ask me about before he asks if I escorted you back or not. It'd be nice if I had something positive to say."

"Fine," Lucky said with resignation, gathering up her books and rewarding him with a freezing look when he offered to carry them.

Shrugging it off, Dale followed behind, rolling his eyes when she peered down the corridor to make sure no one was there before stepping into it. But ghosts seemed to be the only ones in the halls now, gathered in small groups or simply roaming in and out of the walls as if for their own amusement.

"Don't worry so much, Lucky, you know students aren't allowed to linger in the halls tonight. In fact, considering how close to curfew it is, I imagine everyone else is back in their rooms by now. I wonder if there will be any spiced cider left? I don't know about you, but I could use one. The castle's rather cold tonight, isn't it?" Dale said, a bit puzzled about the fact.

One could normally expect a chill draft in a castle that size in the outside world, but that never seemed to be a problem at Hogwarts; even the floors never seemed to get so cold as to be anything other than refreshing, and the corridors even leading out to the courtyards and pitch never seemed to have trouble staying warm no matter how bad the weather got. Lucky found herself looking around as well, instantly aware of what he was talking about.

"Maybe it's just because of all the ghosts?" Lucky suggested.

"There is that," Dale agreed thoughtfully. "Well, come on, then, since that's all it probably is…" but just then, Lucky stopped dead in her tracks, staring down a corridor. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I just saw someone… or something," Lucky murmured. "Like a shadow."

"Probably a ghost then," Dale said.

"No, this was different. It was dark, and kind of out of focus," Lucky said. "Maybe we better go get the Professor."

"Are you sure you're not just imagining it? I'd hate to have to bother him if it turns out to be nothing," Dale said. Lucky thought about it.

"I think he'd rather that I bothered him," Lucky decided, but as they walked towards the stairs, Lucky began to feel like she was being watched. In fact, the closer they came to the stairs, the more persistent that feeling was, until she saw a dark, smoky figure cross one of the halls in front of them, beating them to the stairwell.

"Did you see that?" Dale whispered, and Lucky grabbed his arm and pulled him into a side corridor, the two of them running down it as fast as they could. Dale wasn't sure at first where they were going to go until Lucky began running towards the entryway. "Are we going for the Door Lift?"

"Shh!" she hissed at him, hurrying around the corner to get to the door.

But as she did, she saw the strange dark figure again and a strange flash met her eyes. Terror gripped her and she bolted in the other direction as another flash went off as she bolted through random corridors, looking for a hiding place. She had to find one, and find one quick… somewhere that no one could ever find her. She dove into the passages, still not quite sure where she was, and somehow managed to come out not all that far from where she had started. Glancing at the markings on a doorway, Lucky ran into the bathroom and into a stall, but there was no lock on the door.

"What are you doing?" came a hollow voice around her.

"Hiding! I have to hide!" Lucky shouted.

"That's not a very good hiding place. I already found you," Myrtle pointed out. Lucky panicked and ran out, managing only to get as far as the next stall and slid the lock shut. "I know a better one," she giggled, peering through the door. "Do you want to know a secret?"

"I can't hide here!" Lucky said, rattling the door until she remembered it was locked and forced it open.

"No, but you can hide in the secret passage," Myrtle said. "Right under that sink over there. But it's locked too, you know. There's a ward on it."

"I don't care!" Lucky said and ran back out, completely unaware of anything but finding a place to crawl into. Had she been aware at all, she might have wondered at how helpful Moaning Myrtle was being, or why the ghost wore such a thin smile as she blasted through the ward as if it were nothing and slid into the darkness.

Myrtle giggled again and went to the mirror then to primp her hair and attempt to straighten her uniform. It was only a minute later that she heard a harried voice in the hall, which she instantly recognized, and floated through the door a moment after Dale had run past, calling out Lucky's name.

"I know where she is," Myrtle said loudly, and Dale stopped in his tracks and came back over.

"You know where Lucky is? Is she all right?" Dale asked.

"She is hiding," Myrtle explained. "You're Dale Chance, aren't you? I've been listening to you for a while now."

"Yes, I am, thanks, but Lucky isn't hiding because she wants to. She just got cursed," Dale said impatiently.

"That explains a lot," Myrtle agreed. "You know, you sing very well for a boy your age. Especially in the shower." Dale felt a wave of heat rushing to his face.

"Please just tell me where Lucky is," Dale said.

"She went in my bathroom," Myrtle explained. Dale went over to the door and began banging on it. "Oh, she can't hear you from here. She's too far away."

"I thought you said she was in there," Dale said with exasperation.

"She was," Myrtle agreed. "But now she is hiding."

"I don't have time for this," Dale said, and walked in the bathroom, checking several stalls.

"Would you care to see my stall?" Myrtle asked, but Dale simply seemed to look through her as he focused in on the sink that was obviously not where it was supposed to be. "Really, you don't want to go down there. It's not a very nice place," she said, trying to block his path. But after doing his best to avoid her, Dale finally walked through her and found himself sliding down a long chute.

It was very wet and very dark, but Dale wasted no time pulling up a light, staring at the long tunnels.

"Oh man, how am I ever going to find her in this?" Dale said out loud, then noticed a trail of footprints on the ground and began to follow them. "Lucky! Lucky, it's just me! It's a mental curse, you can fight it! Shake off the urge to hide!" he shouted.

His voice echoed strangely and he sighed, hoping that at least it helped his voice carry to wherever it was she was hiding in. Reluctantly, he trudged on in a passage that barely supported his height and was instantly glad that his mother had kept him on such a strict diet over the summer when he had to squeeze past a couple of tight spaces. But abruptly, the cavern opened up and he saw a humongous door, half of which looked as if it was nearly blasted off its hinges while the other side still stood closed, and a curious symbol in the center of both doors had a large crack right down the middle of it.

Cautiously, Dale stepped in, wishing he were anywhere else when he stepped into a large chamber filled with snake statues and one of Slytherin himself, finally realizing where he was.

"Ah, lovely, this is going to be difficult to explain," Dale said to himself. But then he thought he heard the sound of rocks shifting and held up his light curiously, torches lighting to either side of him on their own as he stepped further into the room. It was then that he finally saw her cowering in the far corner, futilely attempting to hide behind one of the large piles of debris in the room. "There you are," Dale said with relief. "Come out, Lucky, it's all right now, it's just me. You don't have to hide anymore."

"I can't," Lucky murmured, curling up so that she stayed in the shadows.

"Of course you can," Dale said, working his way closer. "Come on, you're a fifth year, you know how to throw off fear spells and command spells. This one's just a nasty mix of both, that's all, but you can still fight it off… I did already. You just need to come out. If you come out of hiding on your own, it'll stop." He paused then, but Lucky didn't say anything. "Come on, Lucky. I know where you are, come out. Here, let me help you up," Dale said, working his way over to her. He was watching her carefully to make sure that she didn't bolt again as he walked, and cautiously put out his hand. Slowly she raised hers over the pile. Encouraged by the response, Dale took another step closer.

Suddenly, he felt the ground underneath him disappear, sending him plunging down a hole and knocking his wand arm hard against the floor as he fell in.

"Dale!" Lucky shouted and leaned into the hole to try to grab him, but he was already out of her reach.

It was only then that she realized she was in trouble herself, for the sides were slippery with a thick coating of slime and moss and she couldn't get a grip with her hands to push herself back out of the hole. Precariously she tried to get out her wand and lost her balance all together, screaming so loudly as she slid down the tube backwards that Dale was able to make a grab for her at the other side. But even that, it seemed, was problematic. Dale had been able only to grab an arm, and he cried out in pain when he did so as they dangled out over a daunting drop with dams of small animal bones littering the bottom of what appeared to be some sort of overflow channel. Lucky took this all in mere seconds, and then felt the bottom of a rope hit her face.

"Lucky, grab hold of something quick, I can't hold you!" Dale warned. "I think my arm is broken."

"I can't hold on!" Lucky said back, reaching with a flailing hand towards the rope.

Dale felt her slip and barked out a warning, but with one last scream, she lost her grip completely. Dale heard her land hard against the floor.

"Lucky! Lucky, are you all right?" Dale shouted.

"No," Lucky said, her voice strained as if she were wincing.

"Just hang on, I'm coming down, then," Dale said, sliding more than he would have liked as he made a quick grab at his wand. With one swift but painful movement, Dale cast the feather spell on himself and let go of the rope, dropping down onto one of the piles of bones. He scurried over where Lucky was sitting to find her holding her ankle and gritting her teeth in obvious pain.

"Broken?" Dale asked, and Lucky nodded, wincing noticeably when Dale felt her ankle. "Ouch, yeah, that's a break."

"My shooting leg at that," Lucky said miserably.

"Don't worry about that, Lucky. You know Madame Potter and Doctor Sagittari will probably have that and my wand arm fixed up in no time," Dale said.

"If they ever find us," Lucky said darkly.

"They'll find us," Dale reassured her. "Are you kidding me? There is no way your father would let you disappear. We need to do something about that leg for now, though," he said, and began going through one of the closest piles of bones.

"I think I broke my wand on the way down," Lucky said.

"Well, my wand is all right… I only wish I could say the same about my arm," Dale chuckled, painfully calling up a light that hovered over them.

"What else could go wrong?" Lucky said, sounding quite depressed.

"Now, don't start that, Lucky. Everything is going to be all right," Dale said, finally finding a couple of smooth bones. He knelt by Lucky's side then, helping her remove her sock and shoe, and had her hold the bones on either side of her ankle as he cast a transfiguration spell, the bones turning into two ivory splints while the sock transfigured into bandages that wrapped tightly around them and down around her foot. "There we go, Lucky, that ought to hold it until they find us."

"Oh, get real, Dale! How are they going to find us all the way down here?" Lucky snapped. "And stop calling me that! There's nothing really lucky about me, it's been one disaster after another my entire life, and this is just an example. You might as well call me Fortuna, we're probably dead anyhow."

"Lucky, calm down!" Dale said insistently, attempting to clean off his cloak before putting it around her.

"Fortuna," she snapped irritably. Dale sighed at her.

"Well, I'm not going to call you that, even if I have always liked it personally. Not only because I don't want to get clobbered when you change your mind, but I know how I'd feel if everyone called me Wilbert, and I'm certainly not going to leave myself open for you to return the favor down the line," Dale said, pretending not to notice as Lucky wiped angry tears off her own face. "So if I can't call you that, and you don't want me to call you Lucky, I suppose we'll have to come up with something else. What's your middle name?"

"I don't tell anybody that," Lucky said shaking her head.

"Oh, come now, that's not fair. You know mine, you can at least tell me yours. I won't laugh," Dale promised. "_Maximize!" _he intoned, turning his handkerchief into a scarf he could use to tie up his arm. Lucky watched him somberly, but it wasn't long before Dale turned his attention back to her. "So, what is it? I promise I won't tell anyone else," he coaxed. Lucky frowned, but finally sighed in resignation.

"Marie," she mumbled.

"Really?" Dale said with surprise, barely keeping himself from laughing outright. "But that's a pretty name! Why would you want to hide that?"

"That's just it, though. There's nothing tough about Marie," Lucky protested.

"I think that would depend on whose name it is," Dale said.

"Well, I was named after my grandmother, really, her name was Maria," Lucky shrugged. "But my mother wanted us all to have one name that reflected our heritage, and one name from mainstream America, so that's why it ended up Marie. Elena Sue, Joey Alejandro, and Fortuna Marie."

"You had a brother named Joey?" Dale asked.

"Yeah," Fortuna said somberly. "Mamma didn't like the name José. She would tell us, 'Nobody gets anywhere in life with a name like José unless they're into boxing or baseball.' She didn't want us stuck in Queens all our lives, she said. She wanted us to go to college. Personally, I just wanted away from our father. Man, he was furious when he found out she named his son Joey," she murmured, a strange hollowness to her tone. "He had been drinking that night and hadn't found out until afterwards. Things were already bad before then, but after that, they got even worse. Mamma wanted to leave and got close sometimes… he'd always tell her things to scare her into staying, but then she'd have to go for work and left the three of us to fend for ourselves."

"You must really miss them," Dale murmured, but the Lucky shrugged it off, shaking her head.

"I don't have the right to miss them," Lucky said.

"Nonsense, of course you have the right to miss them," Dale said.

"You're only saying that because you don't know what happened," Lucky snapped. "They all died because of me!"

"It was an accident, Lucky!" Dale said firmly back.

"No it wasn't! Not completely! I wanted him dead! I wanted him to pay for what he did to us! And when the fire got started, I… just couldn't stop it…."

"But you would have if you could have," Dale said.

"Of course I would have!" Lucky snapped, futilely attempting to hold back the tears. "But I couldn't because I'm a Pyro, and they all died because of me!"

"Even if you'd known about magic then, Lucky, you couldn't have done anything to save them, you know that now, don't you? It wasn't because you didn't want it badly enough, you know, as a fire sensitive, you just can't cast those types of spells," Dale said.

"I should have tried to save them," Lucky sobbed. "I should have tried or at least died with them for doing it!"

"What, and miss all these good years you've had since coming to Hogwarts? And miss my chance at ever meeting you?" Dale protested, hugging her.

"What good does meeting anybody do? I can't be with anybody even if I wanted to. Didn't you hear me? I'm a Pyro!" she shouted through her tears.

"Lucky, I know that already. I've known that for years," Dale snapped back at her. Lucky suddenly stopped crying and looked up in surprise at his serious expression.

"Who told you? Was it that loudmouth Delia? Because…"

"No, Lucky, nobody had to tell me," Dale said with a shake of the head. "The Christmas after your mother and my mother became friends, she gave me this chain I'm wearing and told me never to take it off for any reason, but she wouldn't tell me why. So, like any good items student, I took it off the moment I got to my room to run tests on it and found it had the strongest flame and heat enchantments you can put on an item woven into it. It didn't take me long to figure out why she gave it to me. It also didn't take me long after that to piece together what must have happened to your family. And I know what really happened to Humphrey last year, and to come perfectly clean about all of this, I know what happened with you and the Unicorns, and to be frank, I think that bastard got what he deserved and probably less than he deserved."

"My family didn't deserve it," Lucky murmured.

"No, but at least the suffering is over now, Lucky…"

"Don't call me that," Lucky said again, and Dale sighed. "Lucky's what they called me after I came out of that house alive."

"Well, after everything I've heard, I still think you're lucky to have gotten out of there," Dale assured her.

"So now you know why we can't be together, right?" Lucky said slowly. Dale blinked and stared at her.

"What? I don't know how you came to that conclusion," Dale said.

"Because you don't want me!" she protested.

"I don't?" Dale said, even more surprised.

"No, of course not! How could you? You're in the limelight; you don't need somebody hanging on you with that kinda baggage, not when you can do better than that! What if it all came out? The media would tear you to shreds!"

"If it came out, I think I'd be much more worried about you," Dale said, making a gesture to ward against evil. "And I don't give a damn what anyone else thinks."

"Not even what I think?" Lucky challenged him.

"Well, you, yes, but you're not just anyone, Marie," Dale said. Lucky grew quiet again, and he found himself looking into her dark eyes. "Marie," he murmured again. "It really is a pretty name, you know, but not nearly as pretty as you are."

But although Lucky's face began to grow pink, she didn't turn away or shrink back as she normally did, as if she were quite unaware of the fact that he still had his arms around her from trying to comfort her a moment before. Encouraged and quite afraid that he would never get another opportunity, Dale leaned over and kissed her.

In the Owl Room, another flurry of brown feathers fell into the growing pile of them in the case.

Lucky quickly pulled away, wiping off her mouth and gazing at him warily.

"Sorry about the Hollywood kiss," Dale said quietly, instantly apologetic when he saw her reaction. "They taught me how to make it good on camera, not how to make it good. I've never kissed a girl because I actually wanted to before."

"Yeah, well, me either," Lucky said, and Dale couldn't help but chuckle softly at that, hugging her gently again while cautiously waiting for her to stiffen, but she didn't.

"Well, I suppose we'll just have to work on it then," Dale said daringly. Lucky squinted at him. "After all, who knows how long we may get stuck down here, and we could probably use the practice."

"Yeah, but don't you dare tell anybody," Lucky said in a threatening tone, keeping a serious face despite the way Dale was looking at her.

"I'd never tell," Dale murmured, gently kissing her again.

Just then, a loud hiss echoed through the channel followed by a rather disturbing sound that reminded Dale of a yawning dragon.

"What was that?" Dale said in surprise, scrambling to his feet and grabbing his wand.

"Don't make a lot of noise!" Lucky hissed, well after Dale had dislodged some of the debris and sent it tumbling into the muddy water in the center of the channel. The two of them paused to listen until the hiss and call came again.

"Wait. I know that sound. That's the sound Rasputin makes when he hasn't been fed a mouse in over a week!" Lucky said, rolling her eyes. "The cavern must be echoing it."

"Then he should be able to hear us!" Dale said excitedly, scrambling down towards the center and raising the light with his wand to try to see where he was. Suddenly, he saw a strange shimmer and looked up, laughing outright when he saw the basilisk's head poking out of the same tube they came out of. "It is Rasputin! And he has a rope tied around him!"

"Rasputin! We're over here!" Lucky said, and the basilisk immediately jumped in response. Halfway down, the shimmering rope went taut, but then slowly Rasputin was lowered the rest of the way, and Lucky leaned over and petted him enthusiastically. "Hey, look, there's a potion bag tied to the end of the rope!"

"What's in it, Lucky?"

"A lifting draught, and a basic healing potion," Lucky said once she finally got it off.

"Well, the draught will help, but that potion won't fix broken bones. Still, it might help us get up there without killing ourselves," Dale said, reading the labels. "Figures they'd rescue us now. I was just starting to like it down here." Rasputin hissed as if disagreeing with him. "You go first, Marie, your ankle's a lot worse than my arm is, and you can use the rope to help lead you up."

"Aw, you're just trying to be noble again," Lucky scowled. But Dale grinned, because her voice didn't have anywhere near the bite it normally had when she spoke to him.

"Come on, take a sip of each and up you go," Dale coaxed her, and then after taking them she quickly handed them off to Dale as she felt herself start to float like a balloon. Carefully she grabbed the rope and used it to guide herself into the correct tube, helping the potion along by pulling herself along as well.

In practically no time, Lucky found herself being pulled out of the tube while hearing the exasperated cries of Jennifer just behind her.

"It can wait, Jennifer, I'd like to grill them both at the same time, if you don't mind," Severus said, holding onto the rope to make sure it didn't come off the pillar as he peered down the hole.

"It wasn't our fault!" Lucky immediately protested as Jennifer inspected her ankle. "I was under a spell, I didn't even know where I was!"

"An unlikely story if I ever heard one," Severus said, pulling Dale up and then pausing to look at him when he winced in pain. "This one has a broken arm."

"And more than one anklebone broken over here if I'm not mistaken," Jennifer sighed.

"How did you find us?" Dale asked, while Severus cast a spell on the rope to begin winding itself back up again, flashing him only a momentary look of disapproval before turning his attention to his familiar's ascent.

"When I couldn't find either of you on the map and my watch still told me that Lucky was in Hogwarts, I immediately knew where you were, Mr. Chance," Severus snapped. "I cannot believe I actually bought that story that the two of you were actually planning to study."

"We were!" Lucky protested, and then saw Jennifer watching her carefully. "Well, sort of. We were in the library, but when Dale was walking me back, something caught up with us."

"Something caught up with you?" Jennifer frowned.

"It cast a spell on us," Dale said. "Some sort of fear spell that makes you want to hide. I threw it off okay, but Lucky didn't."

"Probably the Toad in the Hole hex, Severus," Jennifer said.

"We'll discuss it later," Severus said, helping the rope pull up Rasputin and pausing to untie him. "If there was someone in the school who didn't belong, they were gone before I looked at the map. We need to get these two properly tended. Call up some stretchers, Jennifer, and we'll head to the Door Lift."

"Door Lift? You mean you put one down here?" Jennifer said in surprise.

"By the winding stairs," Severus said. "I knew it was only a matter of time before I'd have to use it. I have half a mind to put this silly place on my watch, come to think of it." Jennifer simply shook her head with a smile as Severus put away his rope and Rasputin led the way out, and in no time they found themselves in the hospital wing where Ginny was sitting, immediately getting up from her book and tossing it aside to help get them into beds.

"I wasn't expecting you to still be here," Jennifer said thoughtfully.

"Sagittari asked me to stay over long enough for him to take care of something in the Dark Forest. What happened?" Ginny asked, glancing at Lucky's leg before deciding to get Dale's arm under wraps first.

"They went looking for your diary pen," Severus said dryly.

"Really? Did they find it?" Ginny asked mischievously, getting a dirty look in response and contented herself with wrapping Dale's arm. "Can you wriggle your fingers still?" she asked, and when he proved that he could, the bandages wrapped him up further until he realized that he couldn't any more. "He has function in that arm so probably just a fracture. I'd better take a look at this one now. Nice improvising!"

"I did my best," Dale said humbly, watching as Ginny winced when she saw how bad it was.

"Well, I can fix it tonight, but it'll be a while before you're actually going to be able to use it for any length of time," Ginny warned her. "How did you manage to splinter it like that?"

"All my weight was on it when I fell," Lucky explained. "It could have been worse, though, if Dale hadn't caught me part way."

"Caught?" Severus repeated.

"Yeah, it was the weirdest thing, actually," Dale said. "When fell down that tube, I got to the end and found a rope in my face and was able to hang onto it. What an Indian Rope was doing all the way down there, I'll never probably never know."

But a strange expression came over both the Headmaster in his wife, starting at him with open wonder. Severus glanced over at Jennifer, who smiled enigmatically at him in return.

"No, you probably won't ever know," Severus said curtly, ignoring the fact that Jennifer and Ginny were grinning at each other. "And just why if you were able to throw off that spell didn't you come and get help the moment it happened, Mr. Chance?"

"I was worried about Mar… Lucky," Dale said quickly, Severus squinting at him. "Really, considering where she ended up, I couldn't have just left her."

"How exactly did you end up there again?" Severus asked, gazing at her fixedly. Lucky frowned, thinking it over.

"We were trying to get to the Door Lift to warn you something was in the building," Lucky said. "A strange dark foggy shape… sometimes it looked like a figure, and other times it didn't look like anything but a dark shadow. It cut us off and cast a spell at me, and I ran in the bathroom to hide and… Myrtle found my hiding spot and showed me one she thought was better." Severus groaned.

"Yeah, Myrtle did have something to do with her being down there, Professor," Dale agreed. "She tracked me down in the halls, that's how I knew where Lucky went."

"Nurse Hazel, is Doctor Black still in the building?" Severus asked apparently no one, but then Dale noticed him look over at a painting where a woman making her rounds in the hospital wing stepped up to the frame.

"Yes, Headmaster Snape. I believe he is still attempting to coax Professor Ravenclaw out of his tower."

"It can wait, ask him to come find me. I do not tolerate ghosts manipulating student when they're impaired by a curse, and I intend to remedy that," Severus said crisply. "Mr. Chance, even if it sounds more and more as if this situation wasn't your and Miss Snape's fault, you were by your own admission able to throw of that curse and very much should have known better. You should have informed someone what was going on and where you believed she was before going after her, even if you did for some reason believe that you couldn't get me personally."

"Oh, um… yes, Professor," Dale said.

"That's ten points off Ravenclaw, and don't let it happen again," Severus said.

"Ten points? That's it?" Ginny said, but immediately turned back to Lucky's leg when Severus gave her a dirty look.

"Yes, Professor," Dale said.

"Is she all right, Ginny?" Jennifer asked when she saw Ginny was wrapping her foot in a light bandage.

"She'll be fine now as long as she stays off of it for a couple of days so it doesn't swell," Ginny assured her. "Let me go get some crutches for you to use."

"Ah, great," Lucky scowled, and Ginny put her hands on her hips.

"Or I could simply recommend you stay here and get complete bed rest for two days," Ginny warned.

"I'll take the crutches," Lucky quickly said, and Ginny got into the storage closet and then handed them to her, then brought out a phial.

"And you'll need to take one dose of this every night until it's gone to reduce the chance of swelling, but come back up here if it does," Ginny said.

"Here, I'll take that for now. I'm going to walk her back, Severus," Jennifer said.

"Come back here before you start running any security checks, Jennifer, I'm going along as well, but if you see Carnegie, let him know what's going on," Severus said.

"All right, Severus. Let's go, Lucky, it's well past curfew, you know."

"Night, Dale," Lucky said as she tried to get used to the crutches.

"Night, Marie," Dale smiled, but it wasn't until she left that he felt eyes burning into him and looked back around. Ginny pursed her lips, deciding to take a minute to straighten the potion cabinet before coming back over.

"Just what happened down there between you and my daughter, Mr. Chance?" Severus asked flatly.

"We already told you what happened sir," Dale said carefully.

"Yes, what else happened?" Severus prompted him, while Dale feigned ignorance. "You were down there at least a half an hour before we found you."

"Oh. Well, I fixed her leg, and then we just talked, mostly," Dale shrugged.

"You talked… mostly?" Severus repeated, squinting at him, and Dale nodded vigorously.

"Yes, mostly," he agreed. But before Severus actually had a chance to dig in, Ginny came back over with a bottle in hand, and Severus had to content himself with folding his arms and glaring when she insisted on looking him over.

"Well, I think he's all right to go back to his rooms now, Professor. I'll walk him back, since I know you have things to do," Ginny said.

"As a matter of fact, yes, since we don't know who or what is behind this. But don't think for a moment I don't have my eye on you," Severus told him sharply, Dale grimacing slightly in response.

Severus went out the door to talk to the staff and help them comb through the school for clues to who or what it was. He also didn't miss the fact that there was enormous amount of brown owl feathers already in the Owl's goal case when he was checking the library a half an hour later.


	19. Family Crisis

Chapter Nineteen

Family Crisis

Aurelius woke up with a terrible headache, staring at the clock in disbelief. He hadn't meant to sleep all day… but then, what else was there to do? He tried to sit up, but it simply seemed to make his headache worse so he laid back down, contemplating just going back to sleep again. But something was nagging him… a persistent whisper in the wind out side. Even the drizzling rain outside seemed to be calling his name…

A light fell across his eyes, and reluctantly Aurelius opened them, hazily trying to focus in on its source. Realizing it was his wand, he lifted his head and stared at it, having to really concentrate to remember its meaning.

"Pali," Aurelius murmured, and found the strength to get to his feet, the glow around the wand becoming strangely weak and pale. He stumbled over and grabbed it, frowning at it a moment before throwing on a shirt and trudging out the door of the cabin, staring out into the darkness.

The night was dark and cloudy, but Aurelius could sense where he was going even when his physical senses failed him. He felt the centaurs near; many were in the area, in fact, considering the time of year and the unreadable sky. He felt the rain falling on him, beating persistently to the point it was annoying him; it never annoyed him before, and yet now it was quite irritating, although he wasn't sure why. At last he felt the presence of the herd itself, but they were still and silent without even the slightest sound being made between them. It was eerie to walk among them when they were standing in that way, and in the rain they seemed more like ghosts than material beasts at all.

As he walked further in, a wave of emotion hit him… filled with sadness… regret… and an overwhelming loneliness so deep that it made him hesitate, and he did not want to go any further at all.

"Pali?" Aurelius said, but the call barely came out above a whisper.

_You must come._

The words seemed terrifyingly weak in Aurelius' mind and a chill went through him. It was even weaker than the whispers he heard when they first bonded. Aurelius immediately became afraid of what it might mean and forced himself forward. It was Kesa's strong neigh that guided him over to a circle of Unicorns who stood guardedly around where Pali lay.

"Pali!" Aurelius said, pushing his way to his side and putting his arms around him. "No, you can't do this! Don't leave me like this!"

_You are hurting. It is my fault, and I am sorry._

"Never mind that, don't worry about me! I take it all willingly! I'd gladly give my life to save you from this!" Aurelius said.

_That is how I feel, and although you cannot save me, I can save you. Do not feel remorse; I shall live as long as you are alive._

"But I don't want to live without you! I can't!"

_You can. You will. You must._

"I won't!" Aurelius said stubbornly, leaning against him. "Please don't do this to me. Please."

_I must move on._

"Then I'll go with you! Don't leave me here!" Aurelius pleaded, feeling Pali's head move underneath him, forcing him to sit up slightly.

_You will always be my Rider. Our bond will stay within you._

Pali laid his head back down, Aurelius not understanding at first what had happened. But as Pali suddenly seemed to relax, Aurelius realized something had fallen by his hand, and when he picked it up, he realized it was Pali's spiral horn.

"No. No!" Aurelius said, bursting into tears and wrapping his arms back around his friend, the intense grief and loneliness hitting him even more powerful than it had before as the herd all bowed their heads out of respect before slowly stepping away.

From a distance the centaurs watched with solemn expressions until one wearing a robe came out of the forest, quickly noticing the strange behavior of the Unicorns. Suddenly there was a loud whinny, and Sagittari saw Kesa rear up and then look over in his direction. He galloped over then to where she was standing, guarding over the fallen leader and his Rider.

"Aurelius!" Sagittari said, quickly kneel so he could get close enough to feel his skin. "We need to get you inside."

"Go away! I'm not leaving!" Aurelius said. "Just let me die. I don't want to live anymore."

"I did not help bring you into this world to let you die alone and in the cold!" Sagittari snapped, grabbing Aurelius' clammy, stiffening arm and feeling his pulse, as concerned about his behavior as how weak and rapid it was. "Enough, you will get your wish if I leave you here, but I did not become a veterinarian to watch someone die who has so much life yet to live!" he snapped. Sagittari brought out of ring of keys, pulling out one that was marked different crest than the rest, and then grabbed a hold of Aurelius, transporting them both away.

* * *

Jennifer was standing in front of the bathroom doors, shaking her head at the whining and wailing coming from the other side when Severus walked up.

"Sorry it took me so long. I decided to wait beside the Ravenclaw rooms to nab Mr. Chance when he tried to sneak out to 'take a walk' in the middle of the night," Severus said irritably.

"That sure he was going to try it, were you?" Jennifer chuckled.

"Of course he was. I still remember all too well what it was like when it happened to us," Severus said. Jennifer looked even more amused. "If only these strange events we've been going through were as predictable as the behavior of those two. I just finished speaking to the paintings, and although several did comment on seeing a shadowed figure in the hall, none of them report seeing anyone unusual in the castle, nor has anyone used any of the passages out of the castle as far as they know."

"The ghosts didn't see anything either, although I still can't speak for Ick, since he's still locked in the tower," Jennifer sighed.

"Well, considering he's been in the tower, it isn't very likely he saw anything, is it?" Severus pointed out.

"But we still don't know what upset him…"

"One ghost at a time, Jennifer," Severus said, but then paused. "Although this one seems to have quieted down a bit."

It was only a moment later that Zack stepped back out, shaking his head and rubbing the back of his neck.

"Any luck?" Severus asked.

"Yeah," Zack said. "Apparently Myrtle didn't know about the curse or the shadowed figure, she just knew that Lucky was trying to hide from someone," he explained.

"I hardly think she suggested the Chamber to be helpful," Severus said.

"Er, no, she was hoping it'd get Lucky into trouble, actually," Zack admitted. "Apparently, Myrtle has developed a bit of a crush on Dale, and when Dale snuck out of the ball early to study with Lucky, she got a bit jealous."

"Does she realize at all that both Lucky and Dale got injured because of her part in this matter?" Severus snapped.

"She does now, I think," Zack said carefully. "Just remember, no matter how much time passes, she's still an insecure girl that died in a bathroom. She's going to cause mischief now and again, although I suggest you shut down this particular entrance all together instead of moving it around… and fill it in so she's not tempted to do it again."

"That sounds like a very good idea," Jennifer said.

"I quite agree, although I don't know exactly how I'll explain this expense to the board," Severus mused.

"Maybe we should run it by Dad first? He might have some ideas on some cheap and effective ways to plug that hole," Zack suggested.

"Thank you, Zacchius," Severus said. Zack nodded.

"Anything else?" he asked.

"Oh, don't forget Ick," Jennifer put in.

"Ick. Got it," Zack said. "You know I get double pay after eleven, right?"

"Just go get him out of the tower," Severus sighed. Zack nodded and grinned at him, putting his hands in his pockets as he walked down the corridor, ignoring the fact that he was getting pelted by gumballs along the way.

"So now what?" Jennifer asked.

"Now, let's track down Hermione and John and call it a night. I doubt either of them had any more luck than we did," Severus said.

"Well, as long as it isn't bad luck," Jennifer said.

"That is _not_ what I meant," Severus said as they walked over to the main stairwell.

But just then, a huge owl can swooping in, letting a loud WOOOOOOOT that traveled up and down the stairwell. In fact, it was so loud and so unmistakable that several staff members suddenly appeared over railings, including John, Hermione, Andrew, and Sally.

"Oh, no! What could have happened?" Sally asked, nervously watching as Revere took flight and dove down to drop a letter in Severus' waiting hands.

"What is it, Severus?" Jennifer asked anxiously, while the others hurriedly made their way down the stairs.

"It's from Sagittari," Severus said, opening it.

"Sagittari? But I thought Ginny said he was in the forest," Jennifer said with confusion, but Severus had only read a couple of lines before deep lines of concern appeared on his pallid face.

"It is with deepest regret that I must inform you that the Unicorn known as Pali has passed on," Severus read, everyone gasping at once. "Aurelius was present at the time of his death and had to be forcibly removed from the area due to my concerns over both his physical and mental health and I have admitted him into St. Mungo's. His condition is grave, and it is advisable that you come at once, for in his current mental state and unwillingness to fight his current condition, the prognosis is grim."

"My baby!" Jennifer cried out in terror, dashing out the door before anyone could stop her.

"I'd better go get the others," Andrew said shakily.

"No, I'll handle that. Grab your mother's cloak and join her at the hospital. I need to see to things here," Severus said, and Andrew nodded, hurrying out the door as well.

"Why don't you just work on contacting your family, Severus? I can handle the rest," Hermione suggested.

"I can't possibly expect you to replace four teachers overnight, and you know very well it has to be done," Severus said.

"Yes, I do, but I am more than capable of doing so. Or is it my job responsibilities being questioned now?" Hermione challenged him. Severus gazed at her searchingly, then finally nodded.

"Very well, but I have your word that you contact me if you find you need me to help…"

"My word," Hermione nodded seriously. "Do you need any student excuse forms?"

"One at least," Severus sighed, pulling out Alex's shell out of his pocket as he followed Hermione up the stairs.

* * *

Minerva, Ashley and Toby had been sitting at the kitchen table in the back of the dress shop when a rather loud and insistent knock came pounding on the door.

"Odd, who would be knocking this time of night?" Ashley wondered.

"It is getting on, isn't it?" Toby said, looking up from the map he was studying and adjusting his glasses.

"Well, it must be important," Minerva said, getting up and opening the door. "Why, Hermione!" she said with surprise and opened it wider, Hermione hurrying in and then stopping when she saw the others.

"Oh, I'm sorry to barge in. I wasn't even sure you'd still be up, but we're in a bit of a crisis at the moment," Hermione said.

"What is it?" Toby asked.

"Aurelius is in the hospital and in a bad way, and I'm having to replace teachers at a moment's notice," Hermione explained.

"What's wrong with Aurelius?" Ashley asked.

"I don't know all the details yet, except for the fact that Pali died and he's become terribly ill, so all the Snapes have had to leave," Hermione said.

"Oh no!" Ashley said.

"Goodness, Hermione, why don't you just call for a day off or something?" Minerva asked.

"We can't, not now. The board is already breathing down Severus' neck saying there are too many people from his family teaching and want to restrict his hiring privileges, and that vote is supposed to happen tomorrow night! Minerva, please, is there any way at all that I could persuade you to come in and substitute for a day or two?" Hermione begged.

"Of course you can," Minerva said.

"Thank you, Minerva!" Hermione said. "I'm going to have Danyelle filling it at Potions for the time being, so now I mainly just need to find a Muggle Studies teacher. Any ideas?"

"Muggle Studies? Why don't you try someone from the Haven school?" Ashley suggested.

"I think that's a splendid idea," Toby agreed. "I know for a fact that Father Pachem has been hoping for a chance to take a look at Hogwarts."

"Great idea! Then I'll have everyone covered with Severus, at least. I bet I can talk Tangent into taking his Artifacts classes, then we'll be set."

"What about his Ancient Magic course?" Toby asked.

"Well, that one will have to be canceled. There's no way around that, since there's no one else qualified to teach it," Hermione said. Immediately Toby cleared his throat and Hermione paused, glancing over to see him furrowing his brows. "That is to say… well, I didn't think you'd want to…"

"Madame, I will happily rise to the occasion for a damsel in distress in a dire situation," Toby said. "However, if you need references, I'm sure Mrs. Tinker would be happy to oblige."

"Wow, now I want to be a student again," Hermione said with a grin. "Thank you! I'm going to hold a staff meeting at eight a.m. tomorrow so we can get everyone up to date on what's going on, so I'll see you then," she said, slipping out the door.

"Well! I suppose I should head up to my apartment then to try to get some rest!" Minerva said, getting up and slipping out the door.

"We'll be some of the only ones resting," Ashley said, Toby putting a hand on her shoulder when he noticed how strange her voice was. "Corey will be down there, I'm sure. He's probably left Rose with the children, although I'm sure she'd be there too, if she could."

"My dear, if you want to go see how you can help, go. I can manage for one night by myself," Toby assured her.

"For some reason, I highly doubt that," Ashley teased, and kissed him lovingly before hurrying out the door herself, leaving Toby alone with his thoughts.

* * *

Andrew stepped in to find his mother and Sagittari talking on one side of the lobby and walked over, comfortingly putting her cloak on her shoulders.

"It was all I could do," Sagittari admitted quietly. "Perhaps I could have treated the hypothermia, Jennifer, but I could not get through the mental anguish he's in right now at losing such a bond."

"Poor Aurelius! I remember how it was to lose Keki," Jennifer murmured. "It was the worst day of my life."

"Yes, the worst day of your life, and you only rode her once," Sagittari nodded. "Aurelius' bond with Pali is a hundred times stronger… much closer than any companionship such as this should have gotten. It would be more like you or Severus might feel if the other had died, Jennifer, and even the most basic of illnesses can worsen beyond belief if the patient doesn't wish to respond to treatment. He is going to need constant observation and care. I had no choice but to bring him here."

"I know," Jennifer said quietly. "Thank you, for doing all you could."

"It would be a great loss to the world if he doesn't pull through," Sagittari said solemnly. "I should go relieve Ginny. I will be back when I can."

"Maybe we should find a seat or something, Mum," Andrew suggested.

"I'm fine," Jennifer said, despite the fact she looked anything but fine.

Andrew sighed and looked around, more than a bit relieved when Alex Apparated in, Alicia and Francis arriving close behind. Severus came in with Lucky in his arms, setting her down in a lobby chair. Lindsay ran in after them and sat beside her as Sirius and Anna followed. Not long after that, Maurice came in with Thomas right behind, glancing around the full lobby thoughtfully before saying a few words to Jennifer and going to the cafeteria.

It was then that Morfinn Bliant ran in, stopping short when he saw the lobby full of Snapes and doing a quick turn around before going over to the nurses' desk.

"I received an emergency Owl? I take it that it's a Snape or a Craw?" Morfinn asked in a low voice, the nurse handing him a small note with a nod.

"He's in ward three," she said, and he frowned at that, reading the note thoughtfully before walking towards the back.

"Morfinn?" Jennifer said, a pleading look in her eyes.

"I'll have them send you back as soon as possible," he promised before hurrying down the corridor.

"There now, see? There's nothing to worry about, Jennifer. Bliant is looking into it," Severus murmured quietly to her.

"They wouldn't have called him in unless it was serious," Jennifer murmured back, unaffected by his attempts to comfort her. "I just want to see him, Severus."

"It's probably better to simply let them do what they can without us being in their way," Severus whispered, but Jennifer didn't seem too encouraged by that point either.

It was not much longer before Harry and Ginny came in, Ginny going straight over to the desk while Harry had a quick word with Sirius before noticing Severus watching him and the two of them wandered over together.

"Any word yet?" Harry murmured. "We came the moment we could."

"Too soon," Severus said in a low voice, and Harry nodded at that.

"Well, prepare for a Weasley invasion. I was over there when Ginny found me and Molly didn't take it well. I expect most of the family will be over, except for whoever ends up with babysitting duty," Harry said.

"Sounds like we'll be spilling into the halls again," Severus cringed.

"Well, the cafeteria is probably empty tonight, but they really need to get a nice dimensional proportion spell on this lobby," Sirius said. "Would it be all right if I moved the girls in there with Maurice? They'd probably be more comfortable with cups in their hands and in a room they don't have to whisper in."

"Yes, but mind Lucky's leg, she's supposed to be staying off of it," Severus said.

"Oh? What happened?" Sirius asked.

"Chamber," Severus said simply.

"Damn, and my date was in her fourth year. I wonder who won the pool?" Sirius said.

"Not me. I had Halloween, but in second year," Harry said, and both men received dirty looks from Severus.

"I'll go take care of that," Sirius decided quickly and excused himself. It was as he was leaving that Severus noticed Rose had come in and was talking to Corey, and then she walked over to them.

"Ashley wanted me to let you know that Hermione has all the classes covered," Rose said. "She didn't know if Hermione would have reached you yet and figured it'd be one less thing on your mind. Even Toby is coming in to teach, since she couldn't have covered the Ancient Magic class otherwise."

"Wow, that almost makes me want to be a student again," Harry said, and Severus stared at him.

"Spare me," Severus said. Harry simply grinned at him. "Thank you, Rose."

"Mr. and Mrs. Snape?" a nurse said from behind them, and Jennifer, standing numbly beside them, immediately looked alert. "The doctor is looking at your son now, and asked me to find out if you both would like to wait down the hall next to his room where it's quieter."

"That's probably not a bad idea," Severus admitted, gently guiding Jennifer forward into the long hall. She was listless to say the least, and perhaps the quiet would calm her, he mused.

Jennifer glanced around the hospital, wondering what room he was in, wanting nothing more than to simply barge in and put her arms around her son. It was as she was slowing down that she noticed a small ward whose door had been closed to just a crack and frowned thoughtfully at it.

"Here we are," the nurse said, smiling and gesturing to a pair of seats. "I don't know how long the doctor will be, but he'll see you right after he gets done."

"Thank you, Angelica," Severus said.

Jennifer watched as the nurse looked into the ward for a moment and then wandered down the hall. The instant the nurse left, Jennifer got up to see if she had left the door ajar. But even though she did, it was much too small of a gap to actually see through.

"Come sit down, Jennifer," said Severus, sighing softly. "Behaving like this won't solve anything."

"Aren't you worried?" Jennifer challenged, turning to face him.

"You already know the answer to that," Severus said evenly. "Come sit down, or perhaps you'd rather go get some tea?"

"I'm not going anywhere," Jennifer said flatly, turning back around and ignoring the soft sigh coming from behind her.

But it wasn't long before the door opened and Morfinn Bliant stepped out, gazing thoughtfully at Jennifer when he saw she was on the other side.

"Is he going to be all right?" Jennifer asked immediately as he paused at the door. He gestured and then walked over to where Severus was standing, coaxing Jennifer to follow.

"He's in a deep state of shock," Morfinn said quietly. "We've made him as comfortable as possible but he's fallen into a light coma of his own making."

"Aren't there ways you can pull him out of it?" Jennifer asked.

"Yes, Professor, but not safely, not at this point," Morfinn said seriously. "Resting is probably the best thing for him right now, rest and quiet. Hopefully regaining his strength will inspire his willpower to fight through this."

"Our son has always been a fighter, Morfinn, you know that as well as anyone," Severus said in a low voice.

"Yes, so I recall, but this isn't exactly normal circumstances, is it?" Morfinn said seriously. "If he doesn't pull himself out of this in the next few days, I'm afraid there isn't going to be much we can do. And if he sinks any deeper into this, it's quite possible that his body will decide to shut down on his own."

"Oh no!" Jennifer sobbed, Severus putting a gentle yet firm arm around her, while Morfinn's eyes were fixed on her.

"Now that's something I want you to control if you go in there, Professor Craw," he said gently. "Talk to him calmly… reassure him that he still has much to live for, or just talk quietly to each other, make your presence known. I'm going to make arrangements to move him to a more private long-term care room in a bit. After that, I'll allow other members of the family and close friends in as well."

"Thank you, Doctor," Severus said in a low voice. Morfinn nodded solemnly.

"Thank Doctor Sagittari, Professor Snape, for having the sense to send him here when he found him," Morfinn said, and then opened the door for them.

Immediately Jennifer found her way to her son's side, staring at his pallid face and taking his hand

"He's so cold," Jennifer murmured. "And so stiff."

"I've treated him for his hypothermia and a mild bronchial infection, and he should be easily recovering from them," Morfinn said quietly. "But the lethargy is of his own making. I suppose you'd object to me calling in a psychiatrist?"

"I don't like psychiatrists," Jennifer said in a sharp tone, futilely trying to warm his hand with her own. "What he really needs is his family." Morfinn glanced up questioningly at Severus, but Severus shook his head.

"Let me go arrange for him to be transferred to a private room," Morfinn said, excusing himself.

"It's going to be all right, Aurelius," Jennifer said quietly to him, brushing her hand against his cold cheek. "Everybody you can imagine is here to support you, and more are coming in by the minute. The hospital is probably going to be close to bursting with your supporters by morning."

"It is already beginning to start, in my opinion," Severus said quietly and sat down beside her, commenting more to let Aurelius know he was there as well, rather than any other reason.

"There, you see? You're not alone, Aurelius," Jennifer said, taking his hand into both of hers again despite the fact that he didn't seem responsive at all.


	20. Reality Check

Chapter Twenty

Reality Check

Dale Chance woke up the next morning in a brilliant mood. He hopped out of bed then got a jolt of pain from his stiff arm, having momentarily about injuring it. Dutifully he checked for swelling, threw on a shirt and tied it up. He glanced over at Bobby's bed, but it was already made and his books were gone. It was rather unusual, for Bobby was normally a late sleeper, but Dale shrugged it off and finished getting dressed so he could go down to breakfast.

When he got to the Great Hall, he gazed over at the Gryffindor table but didn't see Lucky anywhere. She would be having trouble getting around, he mused, walking over to find a seat. Immediately he received a barrage of questions from the first year side of the Ravenclaw table.

"I left to do some studying," Dale explained, taking a seat across from Laura, who gazed at him skeptically.

"How did you hurt your arm if you were studying?" Laura asked.

"That happened afterwards, actually. I'd rather someone else told you about that… in the Owl Room at lunch or something, maybe. Where's Bobby?" Dale asked.

"Trying to avoid you, most likely," Laura said with a shrug.

"Why would he do that?" Dale frowned.

"Oh, you must not have heard, then. Bobby and Lindsay broke up last night," Laura said.

"Oh, wow. He must have heard about Lindsay asking me," Dale said with a groan.

"Well, that's what started the fight, yes, but that's not what ended it," Laura said. "When he started yelling at Lindsay, Lucky ran over and told us that Bobby asked her out." Dale stared at her as if he had just been slapped.

"He what?" Dale said, stunned. "Lucky didn't tell me about that."

"Well apparently he did ask her, because he admitted as much, and that's when they broke up," Laura said.

"I think I'd better hear it from one of them," Dale said, trying to control his temper. "I'm going to try and find Lucky." Laura nodded to him and Dale got back up, walking over to the Gryffindor table and looking at who was there until he spotted Connie and walked over. "Where's Lucky? I really need to talk to her."

"Gone," Connie said.

"What do you mean, gone?" Dale frowned.

"I don't know. Something happened last night, because the Professor came up to our room while we were sleeping and made her get dressed and they left, something about a family emergency," Connie explained.

"Not just Lucky," Emily said from a few spots away, and they looked at her questioningly. "Professor Weasley came and got Natalie this morning and said she was going home for a few days."

"Strange," Dale murmured with a frown, and then glanced at Gary. "If you see your brother before I do, let him know that I'm looking for him."

"Can I check to make sure he included me in his will first?" Gary asked.

"It might not be a bad idea," Dale agreed before he walked to the Hufflepuff table, glancing around to see who was there. "Anyone seen Lindsay?"

"She had to leave," Delia said, Dale blinking in response. "I think she's at the hospital with the rest of them."

"Why, what's going on?" Dale asked.

"Didn't you hear?" Delia said in surprise, as if it were common knowledge. "Auror Snape is in the hospital and is gravely ill. Anyone even remotely related to him has left the school, so get ready for a bunch of substitutes," she warned.

"What?" Dale said.

"It's true, Dale. I got a letter from my mother about it," Ambrose said somberly. "Maurice left last night as well."

"Ambrose and I are on standby," Winnie said quietly. "Our parents plan to pull us out of school as well if he doesn't make it."

"Oh, wow," Dale said in shock. "Wow, I hope it turns out all right."

"Don't we all," Ambrose sighed.

Dale's day of substitutes started from the very beginning, as he and his small class of Advanced Muggle Studies students went over to the farm for the morning and found an elderly pastor with thin grey hair and an infectious smile waiting for them on the porch.

"Good morning, class! Lovely day, isn't it?" he welcomed them as they stepped onto the porch and found chairs and benches waiting for them. "The clearest and warmest day we've had in a while. God must have realized we needed a bit of comfort," he said, the students looking at each other unsurely. "My name is Pastor Pachem, or Father Pachem as I am mostly called by my congregation, and I am presbyter of the Haven's Ridge church in Hogsmeade, and the Headmaster of the Haven's Ridge school of Hogsmeade. And just in case you haven't guessed it from that, yes, I am a Muggle," he smiled. "And I will be looking after Madame Black's classes while she is away due to a family concern.

"I understand this particular class has been learning basic Muggle farming skills, which is something I know a great deal about, being brought up in the farming community of Haven's Bluff. And I believe you were working on Muggle methods of storing and preservation, which we'll be continuing today with pears and apples, and tomorrow with pumpkin. And, since the first order of the business is peeling, I thought it'd be nice if we did that chore out here so we're comfortable. You may all spread out into groups of two or three. Grab a bucket for your peels and cores and a mesh basket for your finished apples so they can be washed. While we're working, we can discuss anything you like, except for religion," he said, holding up a finger. "If you want to hear me on that topic, you'll have to come visit me at church. Other than that, since this is such a small class, feel free to speak up informally if you have a question or want to say something. I'd rather you mind your knives, peelers and neighbors rather than attempting to raise your hand while doing this sort of work. Very well, go ahead and gather your things and get settled."

"Don't Muggles make electric peelers for this sort of thing?" Bindy asked, scrunching her nose when she looked on the tray and got out a safety peeler.

"Oh, they make them, yes, but not everyone has one. In fact, most kitchen's don't," Pachem explained. "Although some have a clever little crank operated one… we have one inside that I will show you later. It fits to the side of the table when you're working on them. But most generally use a peeler and a knife, because generally one must consider space and cost, especially on an item like that where chances are a normal household isn't going to use it that much. It would be like buying one of those large Dragonbone Marrow extractors for your home lab when it'd take you years to use up all the Poxnix potions that you could make with one extraction."

"How is it that you know about things like Poxnix potions? I didn't think Muggles understood any of that," Dirk asked.

"Well, most of the Muggles in Hogsmeade have taken at least one class in proper handling of potions, and it's also taught once a week at my school, along with magical devices and basic magical herbology. It's a way for them to adapt to their surroundings, help them connect with their magic neighbors, and promote understanding between the two cultures in the same way that you students take this class to learn about Muggle culture," he smiled.

"But why try to adapt? Wouldn't you be more comfortable surrounded by other Muggles?" Dirk asked.

"How so?" Pachem asked, nibbling on an apple peel.

"Well, doesn't it make you feel… well… inadequate… to be around wizards all the time?" Dirk asked carefully.

"No," Pachem said, completely unoffended. "Why should it?"

"Because we can do so many things that you can't," Dirk said.

"So? I'm sure there are a lot of things I can do that you can't," Pachem said calmly.

"Like what?" Dirk challenged him.

"Can you drive a car?" Pachem asked, but was aware that Dale and a couple of the other students were nodding, while many of the others were shaking their heads.

"No, but I don't need to," Dirk shrugged.

"Can you fix a telephone?" Pachem asked, and only Dale nodded that time.

"We don't use them," Dirk pointed out.

"Can you fix an electric wireless?" Pachem said, and Dale nodded again.

"No, but our wireless doesn't break down," Dirk said.

"Can you completely peel an apple in a way that the skin comes off all in one strip?" Pachem asked, holding up his peeled apple and the curly skin to show them. Dirk pondered that.

"I'm sure I could if I wanted," Dirk said, quickly finishing his apple so he could try. Pretty soon they were all were trying it and Pachem chuckled softly, going back to his own pile.

* * *

Dale had no luck finding Bobby at lunch, checking in both the Owl Room and the Great Hall. Finally he gave up and went to Ancient Magic to see that Bobby was already sitting at his seat. Putting his notebook on his desk, he then walked over to Bobby.

"You and I need to talk," Dale said quietly.

"About?" Bobby said, pretending to be distracted by his notes.

"I want to hear from you what happened last night," Dale said. Ambrose came in and cringed at what was going on, very glad that he sat in the back row now. "There are a lot of rumors floating around, and I'd like to hear from you what went on."

"Why don't you ask Lucky or Lindsay?" Bobby said.

"Obviously, because neither of them are here," Dale said.

"Oh no, you're not going to fight, are you?" Pimra asked worriedly. "You're going to get in trouble."

"I'm not going to fight in class. I simply want to know the truth," Dale said.

"Look, I'm not the only guilty party here, Dale," Bobby said.

"I never said you were," Dale said. "Both of you have been restless for a while now. It was obvious at least to your friends it wasn't working, but just because your having problems with your girlfriend, that doesn't give you the right to move in on mine."

"Yours? Give me a break, just because you have some crush on her doesn't mean I don't have the right to ask her, especially considering how many times she's turned you down. I have the right to ask whomever I like! Don't blame me if you keep falling up short, all's fair in love and war," Bobby said. "Besides, what are you worried about? She said no, didn't she?"

"I wasn't worried, just disappointed, that's all," Dale said. "I didn't realize until now that our friendship meant more to me then it did to you." He took his seat then, ignoring the murmurs that began in the classroom after he sat down.

A moment later, Mike Coventry came in, scrambling to get to his seat. Delia came in right behind him, glancing around the room as if quite certain she had missed something she would have liked to have seen.

"Oh, get out of my way, you stupid cow," Don said, pushing his way past on his way to the front. Delia sighed and let him pass before taking her place at the front of the row. "I don't know what we're even doing here. Snape's not even in the castle, and nobody else can teach this class. Wasn't there some sort of note on the door or something?"

"When I spoke to Madame Brittle earlier, she said that all the classes that needed one had a substitute," Dirk told him, opening his notebook.

"Fine, I'll deal with it. It can't be any worse than that old bat of a dressmaker they have in Transfiguration. If she thinks I'm really going to sit detention with a sub she has another thing coming, because I have every intention of writing my father," Don said. Mike sighed softly. "What? Don't tell me you have something to say about it?" Don challenged his brother when he heard it.

"Only that you might have been better off not trying to test her like that," Mike said.

"Oh, please! I'm not putting on my best behavior just because we have a sub, especially one who should have done us all a favor and stayed in retirement. Honestly, if this is the best they could do, Snape and the others should have stayed. It's not like they can do anything at the hospital but watch him die anyway," Don said, receiving several icy stares in his direction.

"Well, we're in rare form today, aren't we?" Bobby said. "You know, just because you can't be sent to the Professor's office right now doesn't mean Professor Weasley won't rake you across the coals if she finds out you're trying to take advantage of his absence."

"The only absence in here is that space between your ears," Don said.

"Ah, space," said a man's voice from the doorway, and everyone looked around in surprise to see Toby standing there. "The final frontier… or so I've heard," he added mischievously, walking up to the front of the room. Most of the class seemed quite stunned to see the old tinker, except for Ambrose, who was beaming; and Don, who looked utterly and completely unimpressed.

"And now we're stuck with a toymaker? Snape is scraping the bottom of the barrel trying to put asses in teacher's chairs today," Don said. "Is half of Hogsmeade shut down to make up for it?"

"Good afternoon, Mr. Coventry. My goodness, but you grow more like your father every day," Toby said as he passed by. And although it was said in a polite tone, there was something in his tone that made the majority of the classroom wonder if it was truly meant as a complement. Toby then glanced at the rest of the class with a smile.

"I would introduce myself, but as I look around, I do believe I already know everyone here. Please, you may still refer to me as Mr. Toby during the class. And for the record, I do have quite a bit of teaching experience, thank you, although most of that is on a one-on-one basis. But I promise that I will do my best, and hopefully you will aspire to do your best as well," he said with a smile. Don rolled his eyes.

"Now, I do have my own agenda, so you can put your notebooks aside until Professor Snape gets back; I prefer other methods. Don't get me wrong, memorization has its place, but I find it's more effective to simply teach lessons that students will remember. So! Today, I am offering a lesson in philosophy, which I hope will help you understand certain concepts of ancient magic later. It is a very simple lesson, really, but one very few people seem to be able to grasp," Toby said, glancing around. "Isn't anybody going to even ask me what that lesson is?" he frowned, looking somewhat disappointed. A hand shot up in the back row, and Toby's lip curled and he nodded to Ambrose.

"What's the first lesson?" Ambrose asked helpfully.

"Well, the first lesson is, simply enough, that reality as you know it doesn't exist," Toby said. "Or to put it another way, never take what you perceive to be true for granted, for our concept of reality is dictated by our own limitations." Everyone in the class stared at him.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Don asked impatiently.

"Thank you, I'm very glad you asked that," Toby smiled, despite Don's wary gaze. "As I'm sure you're all aware by now, Humans are not… no offense intended… all powerful. There are many species even on this planet who can see things we cannot, hear things we cannot, and smell things we cannot. There are some that sense even the tiniest of vibrations that we wouldn't notice even sitting still. If someone plops a coin in the lake a mile away, are you going to feel it when you're going out for a swim? Many species even taste things better than we do, snakes for example, and that's not even getting into conditions of the esoteric. Our sense of the spiritual world and our sense of magic is not second nature to us, where to other beings, it's their primary nature and their way of understanding their world. Humans, however, are not quite so specialized as far as senses go in general; we're more of a jack of all trades sort of species when it comes to that. We see everything in the middle," he said, putting up his hands to show its extent.

"The mistake we make is thinking that that is all that there is, when what is truly out there extends vastly past our senses, and in all directions. This is why so often Ancient Magic seems to work outside the rules. That is not so; it simply works outside the human's natural scope. Our concept of reality is nothing more than a safety net, really, convincing us that what we perceive is all there is, protecting us from the vast information that is out there that we cannot handle. It's true there are ways to get glimpses past this wall through magic or science, but for the most part, what we see is what we get. But what we see is not truly the real world, and therefore, reality as we know it does not exist."

"But that's just stupid!" Don said in a tone that made Dale shake his head and Mike pretend they were not related. "Just because we don't sniff out coneys like a hound doesn't make our world a fantasy."

"Oh, you think not?" Toby asked quietly. Don knocked on his desk.

"A desk is still a desk. A door is still a door. And you are nothing but a crotchety old bore!" Don said. Ambrose blinked and looked at his father, wondering if they were going to see fireworks. But Toby seemed completely calm and unperturbed.

"Nice rhythm," Toby mused. "Passable rhyme. But what makes you so certain I'm not right?"

"My proof is all around us," Don said evenly. "I have a better question. Where's yours?"

Suddenly, the world seemed like it was melting away, colors in front of their eyes seeping into each other like blotches of multicolored paint spraying out in front of them.

Then things began to take some sort of shape although hard to identify, for white was not longer white but variations of color mixtures and what was black was dark blues and the air itself was tinged with red. They heard their heartbeats and breath; they heard each other's heartbeats and breath…curiously able to discern each one by beat, rhythm, and direction. They could detect a unique smell identity in each individual surrounding them, partially diluted by the smells of what they had for lunch. They were aware of the walls of the class from their hearing; they could hear its density and its dimensions and taste its components as easily as they could taste the dust in the air in front of them and discern its different makeup. And through the walls, through glass more liquid than matter, they could see the sky, the true sky, masked by the atmosphere; they could see the moon masked by the light of the sun. Even the other the stars and the planets were easily felt and easily distinguished by the subtle magnetic effects they had on the solar system…

The only thing that hadn't changed in the entire scene was Toby. He stood in the center of the madness apparently unaffected by it, looking little different than he had before, carefully watching the class with a dark, intense look in his blue eyes. At the first sign of stress, the world as they knew it seemed to turn back to normal, and the students found themselves still at their desks. And although it had seemed like an eternity because of all the information that had passed through them, only three seconds had passed.

"That was my second lesson," Toby commented to the stunned class. "Which is, you may ask me to prove anything I say if you like, but do so at your own risk. Any questions about that lesson?"

No one said anything. Even Donald seemed quite subdued.

"Very well! We will then take a short break for those who need a respite to go to the restroom or freshen up as need be, and then we will get back to the topic at hand. Unless there are any other objections?" Toby asked, unsurprised when there weren't any. He also wasn't surprised at the number of students that took him up on his offer and excused themselves from the room.

* * *

It was early that morning when Molly Weasley arrived with a steaming pot in her hand and Heather and Penelope coming in right behind her with their own covered dishes as an invasion of Weasleys came into the hospital.

They had sent Lindsay, Lucky, and Maurice to Baker Street for a few hours rest, but a weary Jennifer was quite grateful for the gesture of breakfast, for more than just immediate family had stayed through the night. Arthur was quick to slip to the back to see Aurelius, while Molly sat with Jennifer and tried to comfort her; an effort that wasn't entirely successful due to the fact that Molly was nearly as aggrieved about it as Jennifer was. Bill and Percy settled in and were quietly talking to Andrew and Alex, while Charlie sat talking shop with Halbert, who was taking up two of the lobby seats unintentionally.

It was not long after Molly had gotten the food set up and the coffee pot was passed around that Ron walked in with a paper under his arm. Spying Harry standing with Tonks and several other Aurors, Ron nodded to him and Harry excused himself.

"You put it in the paper, didn't you?" Harry said, not sounding very thrilled about it.

"At least I had the decency to put it in local interest. I hear the Oracle put it on the front page," Ron said, handing him a copy.

"Which means that every dark wizard Aurelius has been chasing over the past year is going to be dancing in the streets," Harry said with annoyance. "You realize how much work this is going to make for me? They'll think they're off the hook now and will start popping out of the woodwork to make trouble again."

"Well, on the bright side, if they're up to no good instead of hiding out, they will be easier to catch, and it isn't as if you hadn't already put him on leave anyhow," Ron murmured softly back.

"It's not like I wanted to be a man down, Ron. I simply thought it was what was going to be best for the department in the long run if he took a few days off," Harry said quietly back. "I certainly didn't expect this."

"I find that surprising that you thought it was best for the department, considering all I've heard from you for months now is how there's not enough Aurors for the workload, Harry. I know, maybe you ought to run some sort of add campaign…'Come experience the fun of a low paying-high risk job! Includes enemies, stress, and the occasional scar. To qualify, you must work a hundred hours a week, put up with laughable benefits, and also put up with Ministry officials unrelated to your profession telling you how to do your job when they haven't got a clue.'"

"All right, very funny, Ron," Harry said. "Although it'd be funnier if it weren't true. Why do you think I'm having such a hard time getting trainees? It's like everyone seems to be in it for themselves these days. Nobody seems interested in a job whose main benefit is the fact you can sleep better at night because you got someone off the street that day who shouldn't have been out on it. Aurelius understands that," he murmured. "In fact, he's probably the only Auror beside myself in the whole department right now who'd be willing to work for free just to make sure the job gets done. God, I hope he pulls himself out of this."

As Harry was looking off in a daze, his eyes focused on some ornate black robes and he brought his focus back in, glancing at Ron before walking over as Snape appeared out of the back hall looking quite somber and tired.

"Hi, how is he doing?" Harry asked softly.

"No change," Severus murmured, but then glanced around to check for Jennifer. "He opens his eyes now and again but as if he's in a catatonic state. Jennifer says she can't read him… he has blocked himself off completely from the world, lost in his despair and not wanting to face the reality of having to go on. Bliant believes that the infection is spreading but nothing is working on it, simply for the fact that Aurelius doesn't want the potions to work. He doesn't want to fight it."

"That doesn't like the Rel I know," Harry whispered back.

"Part of him is gone now," Severus said, gazing at Harry solemnly. "Part of him died with Pali, and I seriously doubt Aurelius would ever want to reclaim it. Even if he recovers, he will never be the Rel you knew again."

Just then, there was movement by the door, and Severus noticed Jennifer walking over to receive a hug from Tonks, the two of them then walking down the hall to see Aurelius, while Eric walked over to where he and Harry were standing.

"Sorry to hear about your son, Severus. How is he?" Eric asked.

"No change," Severus said evenly.

"Did you need me to cancel the board meeting?" he added. Severus frowned, having forgotten about it.

"Tonight was the night you were going to vote for that hiring policy proposal, wasn't it?" Severus said flatly.

"Ironically enough," Eric said with a nod, and Severus brooded a moment.

"No, do not cancel it," Severus said at last. "If he remains unchanged or improves, I will be there, and if things worsen, I'll send someone. I simply ask that anything you need me for be handled right away so I can get out of there as quickly as possible if I need to."

"Fair enough, Severus, but let me know if you change your mind," Eric said solemnly, knowing that he wouldn't.

Just then there was another rumble by the door, and everyone looked up to see Draco standing just inside the lobby with his hands on his hips.

"So this is where everyone is? I should have known!" Draco said irritably, looking around. "Two Ministers and two department heads, and my head receptionist all taking the day off and what do they leave me with? One assistant, one daughter, and a bunch of clerks!"

"Two Ministers?" Ron repeated, wondering who else was here other than Thomas.

"They are excused. What's your excuse, Potter?"

"Aurelius is my assistant, and my godson, not that I should have to explain that," Harry retorted.

"What about you, Weasley?" Draco said, turning on Percy.

"Aurelius is a friend of mine, and when Penelope decided to come help Mum, I decided I'd come along as well for support," Percy explained calmly.

"Whether he is sick or not, lives or dies, your butt in that chair isn't going to make any difference, Weasley… and what are _you_ doing here?" he said as he noticed Ginger Davidson trying to tip-toe past him with a large tray.

"Lunch break," Ginger explained evenly. "Just decided to eat here, is all."

"Fine! I give up," Draco said with exasperation. "I should have just told everyone to go home, but I doubt St. Mungo's has the room. It's crowded enough in here as it is. Where is Craw?"

"In the cafeteria, I believe," Severus said.

"I think I'll go see how he's doing then," Draco said, instantly subdued. "Holding up better than you look, Severus?"

"I have no idea," Severus admitted. Draco simply nodded in understanding and strode down the hall.

"Was there a point to that?" Tonks chuckled.

"He was just showing his support. I think," Percy said.

"How can you tell?" Ron asked with a snort.

"He didn't fire anyone," Percy said.

* * *

Severus wasn't about to even attempt to clean up for the board meeting that evening. He came as he was, still dressed in this robes from the night before, rumpled from sleeping in a chair, and the lines in his face accentuated by the fact that he had little rest at all. Some of them did a double take when they saw his state, but not one of them commented upon it.

"Good evening, Severus. How is your son?" Norman commented.

"Not well, so if it's all the same, I'd rather skip the pleasantries and formalities and simply get this over with," Severus said bluntly.

"Of course, Severus," Eric agreed.

"There's something I would like to bring up first, if you don't mind," Abraxus interrupted and Severus rolled his eyes. "It's about your choices in substitutes today."

"Abraxus, before you start in on my judgment skills again, Hermione was kind enough to fill those positions… and she successfully filled them all, I might add. I have no objections to any of her choices," Severus said.

"None of them, Severus? Not even the fact she picked a tinker with questionable morals to teach your Ancient Magic classes in your place?" Abraxus challenged him.

"Toby the Tinker taught Ancient Magic?" Eric said incredulously, and Abraxus nodded curtly. "Wow, I wish I could have been a student in that classroom."

"Well, my boys were, Eric," Abraxus said, very annoyed by Eric's reaction. "And to say the least, they were not impressed. In fact, they said he wouldn't stay on topic and didn't teach them anything at all but mumbo jumbo, and when one of my son's tried to question him about it, he cast a spell on the room and terrified the living daylights out of them, before continuing as if nothing had happened. From what I was told, he knew nothing of Ancient Magic at all and was simply using parlor tricks and fancy wording to fake his way through it."

"Abraxus," Eric said, pausing to calm the chuckle in his voice. "Regardless of what you heard, I would like to say in Severus' defense that I know for a fact that Mr. Toby is, if anything, overqualified to teach Ancient Magic. Are you certain that Donald wasn't simply overreacting because he wasn't happy about having any sort of substitute?"

"No, I don't. It sounded to me as if he were quite incompetent… and I never said it was Donald," Abraxus said irritably.

"I'm certain if there are any problems with the substitutes that Hermione will handle them, Abraxus, and in any case, that sounds more like a parent complaint then an administrative complaint. Perhaps you ought to Owl Hermione with your concerns," Eric suggested. Abraxus squinted. "I'm sure if there were a real problem, I'd have more complaints than one, Abraxus, and I didn't even know he was even teaching that class until just now. Either way, I'm certain that Hermione and Severus can handle the matter. Who were the other substitutes, out of curiosity?"

"Danny and Hermione filled in for Potions, Madame McGonagall taught Transfiguration, and Headmaster Pachem from the Haven's Ridge school taught Muggle Studies," Severus said.

"Any other objections? Not that it's really our place to say as long as their qualified, even if this silly policy change passes," Eric said, Abraxus glaring even more. "Anyone? Then perhaps we ought to go ahead and take this little vote. I doubt we need any more discussion on it than what we've had the last two meetings. All in favor in amending our hiring policies?"

Immediately, Abraxus threw up his hand, but his face darkened when only Balmweed and two others had their hands up, for neither Stella Hauk or Caitlyn Shea had put their hands up.

"All opposed?" Eric said, Tonks being the one to get her hand up first, but Caitlyn nodded to the headmaster with a curled smile when she raised hers; there was little doubt that the recent events had changed her vote.

"Well, that's that," Eric said cheerfully. "Any budget or other concerns you need brought up, Severus? If not, the rest can wait until when we go over the balances right before the holiday."

"No, the only upcoming maintenance project will be the football stands, and from what Hermione has told me, they have already succeeded in reaching their goal in covering the material costs, and letters have gone out letting their parents know that the students are planning to chip in labor, in case there are parental objections."

"Thank you, Severus. I suppose we'll see you next month then," Eric said, but Abraxus cleared his throat.

"And would you have any estimates just how long you and the others are going to be gone from the school this time, Severus?" Abraxus asked. This time, even Norman had to turn and stare at him.

"God only knows," Severus murmured, but then paused. "Then again, why don't you try asking your son, since he seems to have the definitive answer on everything," he suggested as he left the room. Abraxus growled angrily. Tonks opened up a small black book she kept on her and wrote another tally by Snape's name.

"The nerve of him! He has no respect whatsoever of this board or anything else, and all of you simply let him walk all over us!" Abraxus said angrily. "He does whatever he likes and gets away with it, and none of you seem to care, and you refuse to do anything to curb him and his family lording over everything! Not even the Ministry makes a move these days where there's not a Snape involved in some fashion!"

"Calm down, Abraxus, I highly doubt anybody has Minister Malfoy on the payroll. He's the best Minister of Magic we've had in centuries, and you well know it, and I don't doubt you voted for him," Eric said. "As for the board, I think he does treat us with respect, even you, Abraxus. He's just not so fond of your parenting skills, that's all." Tonks got out her black book again, but when Eric shifted his gaze sideways to look at her, she decided to wait and update it later.


	21. The Brief Return of the Old Professor

Chapter Twenty-One

The Brief Return of the Old Professor

Dale was on his way to lunch when his owl caught up with him. He gave Jagger a few extra treats when he saw who the letter was from and then hurried to the Owl Room to see several of the others were already there, gratefully setting their books aside to grab something off the trays.

"Hey, I just got a letter from Lucky," Dale said. Connie blinked in surprise.

"How did you rate a letter? She didn't write me," Connie said irritably.

"Me either," Ambrose said.

"She probably didn't have time to write everyone so she just did a joint letter," Dale improvised. "Anyway, she says that she, Lindsay and Maurice have been spending a lot of time at her house. They're helping to baby-sit younger kids getting dropped off there so some of the adults can visit the hospital. She only sees her parents when they go to visit St. Mungo's themselves… apparently, they haven't left the hospital for the most part, but they 'spend lots of time trying to convince the other to go home and rest,'" Dale read with a chuckle. "That sounds like them all right."

"They must be exhausted," Pimra murmured.

"How is Aurelius doing?" Helena asked.

"He hasn't come out of it," Dale said, glancing at the second page. "She says that the doctor's really worried and that he needs to come out of it soon if he's going to come out of it at all."

"That's awful," Pimra said.

"You know, there was a time when I thought it'd be wonderful to be bonded to a Unicorn. But now I've seen what it's done to Aurelius, not so much," Connie said.

"And I thought it had more to do with you becoming more interested in boys," Helena teased her.

"Like you aren't!" Connie retorted.

"Is there anything else in there?" Pimra asked when Dale seemed to be absorbed in the letter. "Like when they're going to get back?"

"Hm? Oh, no, nothing like that, but she did ask if anyone's found out anything about who cast a spell on us that night. I think I'll write her back to let her know that Madame Weasley and Mr. Carnegie have been working on it."

"I hope they find out soon. I hate how Madame Weasley went and lowered our curfew like that!" Connie scowled. "Like it's going to make a difference!"

"Well, I'm going to be glad when all the teachers get back, too, although I am rather curious to find out what Mr. Toby has planned for class today," Pimra admitted with a grin.

* * *

"Butterflies," Lucky said, looking up from Dale's letter that evening.

"Butterflies?" Lindsay echoed, putting another spoonful of sugar into her tea to hide the strange aftertaste that always seemed to accompany cafeteria tea.

"Yeah, it was supposedly a lesson on perspective," Lucky explained. "He took them all out to the greenhouse, and they had to learn how to land on flowers and stuff… except for Don. Dale says that Don turned into a caterpillar rather than a butterfly and that later Mr. Toby commented that Don probably just wasn't mature enough to handle it."

Maurice snickered at that.

"Wow, I would have loved to have been turned into a butterfly," Lindsay said.

"Apparently a lot of the girls wanted to stay that way for awhile, but when Mr. Toby pointed out that many species of butterflies didn't usually live more than a day, they changed their mind," Lucky snorted. "Other than that, everything seems normal there. No accidents there, no accidents here."

"I think there's enough bad luck to contend with right now what with Uncle Aurelius being sick," Lindsay said. "I do hope he pulls out of it soon."

"Me too," Maurice said with a nod. "Partly because I just want him to be well for his own benefit, but also because I really don't want to get too far behind in my classes."

"Give me a break. The fact that we don't have any schoolwork is the one and only good thing to come out of this," Lucky protested.

Just then, there came a disturbing sound that Lindsay and Lucky immediately recognized as a goblin clearing his throat. They turned around completely unsurprised that Boulderdash was standing behind their cafeteria table with a rather large stack of books in hand.

"Miss Snape," he said, and Lucky reluctantly held out her hand for her books and homework. "Miss Black," he said, and Lindsay grimaced and took hers as well. "And Mr. Craw," he finished. Maurice smiled at him and took them gratefully.

"Thank you very much, Librarian Boulderdash," Maurice said.

"The pleasure would seem to be all yours," Boulderdash sneered. Maurice then noticed a tall, handsome dark-haired man step up behind Boulderdash. "This is my good friend, Mr. Xavier Platt. He went to school with Aurelius."

"You're good friends with a Platt?" Maurice said curiously.

"Yes, Mr. Craw," Boulderdash said. "This is Maurice Craw, Jennifer's brother."

"That explains it, then," Xavier said, but nodded politely to him.

"Oh, sorry, I guess that came out wrong, didn't it?" Maurice grimaced. "My best friend is a goblin too."

"Don't ask him who it is, you really don't want to know," Boulderdash muttered to Xavier, who gazed at him questioningly. "This is Lindsay Thurspire Black."

"Oh, you're Ederick Thurspire's daughter, aren't you?" he asked. "I remember when he was LE Minister."

"Yes, thanks. Nice to meet you," she said with a smile.

"And this is my newest student, of course, Lucky Snape," Boulderdash said.

"Ah yes, Boulderdash has been telling me quite a bit about you, actually. He's mentioned more than once that you have better footwork that I do," he admitted, giving Boulderdash an almost scathing sideways look.

"Yeah, well, maybe not right now," Lucky said, pointing to the leg she had propped up on the chair.

"Dare I ask?" Xavier said.

"Chamber," Boulderdash said under his breath.

"I should have known," Xavier snorted. "You're definitely a Snape, aren't you? Anyway, I've been looking for your other siblings. Have you seen them?"

"Andrew's in with Rel," Lucky said. "Alex went to the cabin to check on Aurelius' familiar, and I think Francis and Zoe finally talked Alicia into going to our house to get some rest, since she's pregnant and all."

"I'm half surprised Alex isn't as well," Xavier said. Boulderdash peered at him questioningly. "I was under the impression that Alex wanted a large family."

"Nah, she can't have any more kids," Lucky shrugged. "Her Omnivox skill was keeping the two she has from developing language skills, so she gave it up. She's not even to live in the same house with them until they get into school." Xavier gazed at her in surprise, but then nodded.

"I never thought of that. That must be really rough on her," Xavier murmured.

"She should be back soon. I got a feeling she's gonna try to smuggle Achilles in to see if Aurelius responds to him," Lucky admitted.

"I hope it works," Lindsay sighed. "Nothing else has."

Smuggling the snake in had actually been quite easy; Achilles had long developed the habit of riding Aurelius' arm wrapped up like a bracelet. The moment Alex explained what had happened, he took up the same position on her arm for the trip to the hospital. Alex knocked lightly on the door and peered in, and Jennifer and Andrew looked at each other questioningly.

"I'll go. I could use the break," Jennifer decided and got up, pausing to give Achilles a little pat on her way out the door.

"Alex is here now," Andrew said quietly. "And not just Alex, either. I suppose a snake wouldn't break the two person rule?" he chuckled.

"Never mind that it breaks every other hospital rule letting him in here," Alex said, sitting down on the other side of Aurelius and taking his hand.

Achilles immediately lifted his head to look around and then slithered across to Aurelius, wrapping his body around the man's wrist while contentedly laying his head against his arm.

"Well, at least Achilles looks happier," Andrew smiled.

"Achilles is here, Rel. He was really worried about you when you didn't come home the other night. He'd be lost without you, you know," Alex said, and Achilles hissed in response. "There, you see? And you're not going anywhere, are you?" Achilles hissed again.

"Unless anyone catches him and the hospital makes us take him home," Andrew pointed out.

"No way. Achilles is staying, aren't you, Achilles?" she said, and the snake hissed again. "Well, that's settled then. Is it alright with you if Achilles stays here, Rel?" she asked, hoping there would be something, anything… a hand movement… even the twitch of a finger, acknowledging his familiar's presence. "Well, I didn't hear any objections, at least," Alex said, sighing silently.

"I think I'll go see if anyone else wants to come in. I'll be back later, Rel," Andrew reassured his brother, getting up and walking out.

The moment he passed the doorway, he slumped, letting out a long, drawn-out sigh before finally wandering towards the cafeteria and making his way over to his parents who got so tired of buying coffee one at a time that there were as many full cups on the table as there were empty ones.

"Any luck?" Jennifer asked.

"With what?" Andrew asked, sitting down.

"With that plan you three came up with and we don't know about," Jennifer said.

"Oh. Nothing," Andrew sighed, Jennifer looking even more tired than she had before. "Not even a flinch when Achilles went to over to him. I suppose it was a long shot."

"No, not really, Andrew. It was a good idea," Severus quietly. "We all have special bonds with our familiars, but I'm sure it pales in comparison to the telepathic bond he had with Pali."

"What else can we do?" Jennifer said softly. "We've talked to him until we're hoarse, but nothing seems to move him. We don't even know if he's hearing us at all at this point, and he keeps getting weaker…" her voice left her as her throat tightened, and Severus and Andrew both moved to steady her.

"Perhaps you really ought to go home for awhile," Severus murmured quietly.

"I'll worry more if I'm not here," Jennifer protested. "I'd spend the entire time in terror that I wouldn't be here if he…oh, Severus!" she said, unable to hold it in anymore.

Severus quickly slid near to her and threw her cloak over her with the hood up for a mock privacy in the crowded room and held her to try to calm her while Andrew somberly helped himself to some coffee and pretended not to notice. The rest of the people in the cafeteria had become more subdued as well, their voices softening and their eyes on their own tables or each other.

It was just then that Andrew saw someone standing at the door that seemed quite familiar, but his face was so somber and worried that it took him an extra minute to recognize who it was. Connor Donovan had never been known in school for being serious. Conner's eyes met Andrew's and recognition took hold, and he walked further in, hesitating again when he saw Jennifer's state. But finally he decided to approach anyway, nodding to Andrew before focusing in on Severus.

"Professor Snape?" Conner asked. Severus glanced up and focused in him thoughtfully, while Jennifer quickly attempted to pull herself together. "Pardon me for disturbing you, but I saw Rel wasn't well in the paper and when I asked around and found out the circumstances… well, I decided to come see if I could help." Jennifer looked up curiously.

"Conner?" Jennifer said, gazing at him thoughtfully, tucking away her handkerchief and readjusting her glasses.

"He hasn't acknowledged anyone, Conner," Severus said evenly.

"Yes, Xavier told me when I came in," Conner said with a sigh. "But maybe I can get through to him, at least I want to try. I was with him that night, Professor… the night he bonded to Pali. Maybe it'll make a difference."

"Very well, Conner," Severus said, glancing at Andrew.

"I'll show him back, Father," Andrew said, and Severus nodded thoughtfully.

Severus watched them as they left and then turned to Jennifer, who was gazing fixedly at the door with a strange expression on her face. Finally she noticed that Severus was looking at her questioningly.

"I'm sorry about the scene, Severus. Perhaps I am a bit tired," Jennifer admitted quietly.

"Scene? What scene? Did anyone notice any scene?" he said in a slightly raised voice, ignoring her sheepish expression. Everyone in the room immediately shook their heads, including Lucky, Natalie, Lindsay and Maurice, who seemed absorbed in their game of cards.

"Anybody got any aces? I think we could use one right now," Lucky said, tossing down a card.

* * *

Conner stepped in and Alex got up, offering him her seat and excusing herself. Aurelius seemed stiff and cold despite the warm temperatures in the room, staring up at the ceiling so long before he blinked that Conner had at first wondered if he were already dead. The only movement was the snake around his arm, which lifted his head and tasted the air when Conner sat down.

"Hello, Achilles, long time no see," Conner said, and the snake put its head down against Aurelius again. "Hello, Wart, I see you turned out about how I expected," Conner joked, but then cleared his throat. "I know, that was wrong, but I've always been known for my poor taste in humor, haven't I? Stew and I would pull all sorts of stunts at school, as you probably remember. And then you showed up with your holier-than-us attitude and… well, we couldn't resist the temptation," Conner admitted. "That's probably why you dared me to go in the Dark Forest that night. Of course, I knew from the start you had every intention of waiting until I went out there and then just ratting me out to get me into trouble. I was totally onto that, so I dared you to go along. At the time, I really couldn't make up my mind on whether your agreeing to it was gutsy or just plain not knowing any better. But I figured I could handle anything that came up while we were out there. Boy was I wrong, wasn't I?" he said, glancing at Aurelius, but he hadn't moved.

"I remember you wandered off just after we had gotten settled, and of course I had to go after you, because you had no idea what was out there. And then when I tracked you down, there he was… a big brute of a Unicorn, covered in blood as if he ran into something. Not that it took long to find out what, because that's when the manticore showed up. It was enormous… bigger than I had imagined they were, and you… you must have already been bonded to Pali at that point, because you rushed out to try and save him. Then when you got stung… it looked so bad, I thought you were going to die right then, really. To be honest, I was terrified you were going to die right afterwards, too, and I think if Dumbledore hadn't shown up when he did, you probably would have."

"I should have," Aurelius whispered so softly that at first Conner thought he imagined it. Achilles tested the air then decided to slip under the bed.

"What?" Conner said in surprise.

"I should have!" Aurelius snapped fiercely, his eyes no longer glazed over but filled with fire. "I should have died then and been done with it! All the years I've wasted on that stupid ugly horse! All the heckles and jibes and sneers I've gotten because of him! I've had to drop everything else, no matter my job or what I'm doing, every time Pali called. And this is my reward? You should have left me! You should have let me die then!"

"I never would have done that!" Conner snapped back.

"Only to save your own skin! There was never a thought to what it might do to me. Typical Gryffindor!" Aurelius said with disgust. "To think I'd have to live another moment like this thanks to your stupid little camping trip sickens me to no end. This is all your fault!"

"My fault? You're the one who dared me to go in the Forest, Wart, not the other way around. I simply made sure you went with me," Conner said.

"Then maybe it's time I returned the favor," Aurelius snarled, Conner frowning in confusion. "Because I'm going to hell. And I'm taking you with me."

Before Conner had time to react, Aurelius was suddenly on him, tackling him and toppling his chair, pinning Conner to the ground in an attempt to free him of his wand. Conner immediately found himself at a complete disadvantage by wanting only to restrain Aurelius without hurting him, for Aurelius had no qualms at all about getting a hand around Conner's throat while the other reached for the wand in his belt.

"_Expelliarmus!"_ someone shouted from the door, the spell neatly knocking the wand away and propelling it towards the far wall.

Xavier Platt ran in with Alex right on his heels, her eyes wide from surprise at what was going on in the room. Xavier was quickly able to pull Aurelius back by the collar in his weakened state, and was able to keep a handle on him despite the fact Aurelius was still struggling to get at a wand. No more than a few seconds passed before Aurelius realized that Platt didn't keep his wand on his belt and began struggling to break free instead.

"Is this adequate Slytherin behavior?" Xavier snapped.

"Oh, shut up, Platt! This isn't school," Aurelius snarled.

"Once a Slytherin always a Slytherin, you of all people know that! This pathetic display of bravado won't get you any closer to death, and you are disgracing your family and your house in the process!" Xavier scolded.

"So what else is new?" Aurelius shouted angrily back, trying to wriggle away.

"Well, enough is enough! I swore a long time ago that I wouldn't spend any more time babysitting you because you don't have enough sense to control yourself, and I'm certainly not planning to start now! You are getting back in that bed where you belong, or so help me, I'll call Professor Snape in here to handle it," Xavier warned him.

"No need, Mr. Platt. I'm already here," Snape said, and the two of them stopped struggling in surprise as Snape walked in the room with a flash in his black eyes as if suited to murder. Conner blinked in surprise. It had been years since he seen that look and didn't want to be on the other end of it again, quickly getting up and edging his way out a doorway packed with onlookers who had come to see what the fuss was about. "Mr. Snape, did you or did you not once swear an oath of loyalty to me to do exactly as I asked to the letter if you were to stay in my house any longer?"

"That was years ago!" Aurelius said.

"I did not give you permission to speak!" Snape snapped at him. "And I don't remember putting any sort of time limit on it, Mr. Snape! You are not meeting the conditions of those terms at this moment. Xavier is right; your behavior is completely unacceptable, and if you don't correct it immediately, I will, and you'll find that second option quite unpleasant. You are to get back in bed, keep your mouth shut, and if I _ever_ hear of you attacking a fellow Slytherin again when he is acting in the best interests of the house, I will personally drag you into Conspiracies in uniform and have you stripped out of your colors until you have nothing on and officially renounce you from the house, I don't care _how_ old you think you are. Right now you're behaving like nothing more than a sniveling whiny first year Hufflepuff. You are officially on _my_ time until further notice, Mr. Snape, and I do not give you any sort of permission to kill yourself considering you hardly deserve such a privilege. And if you are stupid enough to do so against my orders, be well aware that your chances of becoming a ghost is extremely high in your current state, and I swear I'll bury your remains next to Myrtle's bathroom and you can spend the rest of your eternity dealing with her," he said with a grim, sinister smile on his face. "Get in that bed. NOW!"

Angrily, Aurelius did as he was told despite the open defiance in his eyes. He climbed back into bed, refusing to look at anyone, but most especially seemed to be blatantly ignoring Xavier.

"Doctor, if you have anything you need to give him, now's the time while I'm still in the room," Snape said.

Morfinn slipped into the room, giving Snape a very wide berth before finally going over to the bed with bottles in hand, pouring one into a spoon and the other a cup. But he hesitated momentarily when he saw the daring look Aurelius was wearing.

"You don't want me to do it for him, Mr. Snape," Professor Snape warned, and Aurelius scowled, grabbing the spoon out of Morfinn's hand and then swallowing the contents of the cup afterwards.

"Fine, now will you just leave me alone?" Aurelius asked, his voice quickly losing its bite as the adrenalin ran thin and he realized just how tired he was. But despite the fact he was quickly losing strength, Morfinn couldn't help but notice there was more color to his skin, and when he felt his arm, it was no longer cold or clammy.

Reassured that the potions were finally working, Morfinn smiled and nodded to Severus, who, although looking quite guarded, seemed to be calming down himself. Just then, Morfinn felt something against his arm and froze stiff in surprise. When he glanced down and saw a snake passing over his hand, recognition took hold, and he Morfinn sighed.

"All right, who let Achilles in? You know perfectly well that's not allowed," Morfinn said, looking out towards the crowd peering in the doorway.

"I don't know," Alex shrugged.

"Haven't the foggiest," Andrew added.

"Leave him alone," Aurelius grumbled tiredly. "He's not hurting anything."

"He must have wandered in on his own, so you may as well leave him. He'll simply come back in if you don't," Jennifer suggested solemnly.

"Oh, very well," Morfinn said, getting up. "I suppose I ought to warn the nurses that there's a snake in here, then. We've had enough excitement for one night. And I still want someone keeping watch on him at all times."

"Yes, I quite agree. This was just the first hurdle, after all," Severus said.

"I'll sit with him, Professor," Xavier offered. Severus nodded, walking towards the door.

"Grrrrowl!" came a soft appreciative noise in Severus' ear. But when he turned to look, no one was there, for Jennifer had already run over to hug Conner, laughing and crying at the same time.

"Oh, Conner! We can't even begin to thank you!" Jennifer said enthusiastically, pausing to wipe her tears off. "Do you realize you probably just saved his life?"

"It was just a second shot at redemption, considering he almost died that night when I should have known better than to go in there in the first place," Conner said with a shrug and a smile. "I'm just glad to have helped, even though I'm still feeling the aftereffects," he added, putting his hand to his throat. Morfinn stepped over to them, nodding when Severus gazed at him questioningly.

"There can be no doubt the fight's back in him now, can there?" Morfinn said, Conner immediately agreeing. "The potions are working now, and I have little doubt that he'll make a full recovery as long as we can keep him from falling back into a catatonic state again. However, I'm afraid recovering from the mental battle is going to be a much longer and harder struggle for him. Are you sure I can't recommend a psychiatrist to help it along?"

"No psychiatrists. I hate psychiatrists," Jennifer said fervently. She didn't notice Conner pursing his lips right behind her. "What Aurelius needs now is friends and family to keep his mind active and to convince him he still has a lot of life to look forward to."

"He also needs help dealing with the pain, Jennifer," Morfinn said.

"There's no cure for that," Jennifer said, shaking her head. "He lost part of himself when Pali died. Part of him will never get over it, any more than I got over Keki's death."

"But I'm sure it can be lessened," Conner said thoughtfully. "Was there anything in particular that helped you get past the initial pain, Professor Craw?"

"Severus and the children," Jennifer said immediately. "The parts of my life that came after my initial bond with Keki. After all, I knew after that first night I rode her that I couldn't ever get close to her again. Severus meant more to me, and I never wanted to feel like I was leaving me behind again, although I admit I did the night she died."

"Briefly," Severus admitted. "But it was not your fault."

"And this is not Rel's fault, either," Jennifer said firmly. "I think what he needs most right now is to strengthen his bonds with friends and family that existed outside of his relationship with Pali. He's pining over his missing bond now and having to deal with going on without him, but if we just keep supporting him and staying by his side, sooner or later he's going to turn around and realize that we're there."

"I agree," Conner said, glancing at Morfinn, who looked thoughtful. "Just keep flooding him with people who care about him and can put up with his mean streaks regardless of what he throws at them, and sooner or later he's going to realize he won't be able to push people out that way. Lord knows he's going to try that route."

"I would have to have someone in there all the times to make sure he doesn't try harming himself in any case," Morfinn said, nodding in agreement.

"True, although I don't think he will," Conner said, glancing at Severus. "He may have gone against his father's wishes in a life and death situation, but he wouldn't ever go against Snape. Xavier is right about that."

"Why else do you think I did it?" Severus retorted. "Teachers do know something about psychology, you know."

"You were brilliant, Severus," Jennifer said with an admiring smile.

"Really, Xavier and the Professor were the heroes here. All I did is piss him off and make him want to kill me," Conner chuckled.

"I think you're all heroes," Morfinn decided with a smile, pausing to look in to see Xavier still talking to a very sleepy Aurelius, who was gently petting the snake around his arm.


	22. Changewinds

Chapter Twenty-Two

Changewinds

Dale was in the Owl Room struggling through his Arithmantics proofs when he heard a soft snort behind him.

"Well, that one is wrong," Lucky said.

"Marie!" Dale said in surprise. "When did you get back?"

"This morning. Sirius and Grandfather dropped us off right after breakfast," Lucky explained.

"Then your brother is doing better?" Dale asked.

"Sort of," Lucky said, sitting down beside him. "He's doing better physically, anyhow, but he's a little on the unstable side. He's always shouting and threatening everyone that comes in and telling them to go to hell, that sort of thing."

"Is that something new?" Dale asked with a grin. "He was always like that when he taught class."

"No, this is different," Lucky assured him. "Anyhow, everyone's saying it's going to take time for him to get over it, but since it's not life threatening any more, they sent us back. I guess Andrew and Madame Black are planning to come back tomorrow, but Jackie and the Professor are probably going to stay down there until next week sometime."

"Great! That means you get to experience Toby's teaching first hand!" Dale grinned.

"Yeah, but I only have him for Ancient Runes," Lucky pointed out.

"Don't worry, I hear even their classes are starting to get wild," Dale chuckled. "Pity you didn't take Muggle Studies this year. Father Pachem's been brilliant as well. He's even got Dirk eating out of his hands now."

"Muggle Studies is a waste of time. Why are you taking it? Because of the band thing?" Lucky said.

"No, the school always recommends it for any student wanting to go to college," Dale said. "But it's not as bad as that first year everyone has to take at all. Advance courses are much more fun, especially since they bought the farm… oh, you know what I mean," he chuckled when Lucky smirked.

"So you're going to college, huh? What about the band?" she asked.

"We'll have a single out Thanksgiving, a full CD in the spring, and a tour next summer. After the sales start to fall from that, we'll be announcing the breakup," Dale explained. "I already have a private tutor giving me a ton of work to prep for entrance exams, that's one of the reasons I cut classes this year. You know, I'm almost sad that I've only got one more year of madness."

"I'm not," Lucky snorted.

"Well, I did say almost," Dale pointed out.

"Personally, I think it'll be nice to have you to myself for a change," Lucky admitted. Dale gazed at her intently.

"As far as I'm concerned, you have that now, Marie," Dale reassured her, causing her to blush. He was half tempted to try and kiss her again, but then heard the door handle and quickly thought better of it. "So what did I do wrong on this problem again, Lucky?" he asked quickly.

"Here, let me see your paper," she said with an exasperated sigh.

Laura and Lindsay stepped in and then stopped cold just inside the door, staring at the way Dale and Lucky were huddled over his homework. Normally, Lucky insisted on the other side of the table whenever possible, and if she couldn't, she often took great pains to keep her distance even when she was forced to sit right beside him. Now it was strikingly evident that she was doing the opposite, to the point where she even seemed to be holding his homework paper farther away from him, forcing him to lean closer to her so he could see.

Laura glanced over her friend worriedly, but saw that Lindsay's expression was one of complete resignation. The dreams that Lindsay had had over the last few days of having a chance with Dale now that she was free and his friendship with Bobby was strained were immediately dashed for good. Lindsay wandered over to the lunch table, trying to ignore them.

"Hello, Lucky! I see you're back as well," Laura said, sitting down on the far end of the table. "Did Dale tell you about the butterflies?"

"Yeah, I heard about it," Lucky said. "And what happened to Don."

"Yes, I think Don is finally learning not to smart off in that class," Dale agreed. "Mr. Toby is not someone to be trifled with."

"So how did the corsage sale go?" Lucky asked.

"We have enough to cover the materials for the stands," Laura said triumphantly. "Professor Spout is going to lend us one of her gardening pavilions, so we'll be able to work on it this winter, even if the weather gets bad."

"A pavilion? It's not going to be big enough for that, is it?" Lucky asked with a frown.

"You haven't seen inside one of her pavilions," Laura said with amusement, getting out a sandwich.

"So where's Ambrose and his gang at, anyhow? He's always here at lunch," Lucky asked.

"Well, I don't know about the others, but the lately Ambrose has been spending lunch with Mr. Toby in his office," Dale explained.

"He's got an office? I didn't think that old classroom had one," Lucky said.

"Well, it didn't, but Toby rolled in an old coat closet and put his office in there," Dale said. Lucky stared at him. "Come on, I'll show you. I don't think he'll mind us invading if he gets an update on Aurelius. Besides, I was thinking maybe we ought to tell him about what happened on Halloween. Maybe he'll have some ideas nobody else will."

"Good point," Lucky agreed, not saying a word to him as he pulled her chair out for her and they walked towards the door. "See you at dinner, guys."

"Sure," Laura said, the two of them watching them go. Lindsay then propped her head in her hand up.

"I think I need to redecorate my room," Lindsay said. Laura chuckled, immediately agreeing with her. "No more Second Chance anything."

"Nope, I think that Chance is long gone," Laura agreed, turning back to her lunch. "Care for a third chance?" she asked, and Lindsay shook her head with a grin.

* * *

Toby was pouring out a second cup of tea for himself and Ambrose when he heard a rattling sound. He furrowed his brow and glanced at one of three clocks on the wall. Only one had the correct time; the other two seemed to be at a standstill, despite the fact that Ambrose noticed that the hands were slightly different when he came in to visit.

"Ambrose, would you see who is in my closet this time?" Toby asked, and Ambrose immediately got up and ran over, popping open the door.

"Lucky!" Ambrose said excitedly, hugging her happily. "Father, Lucky's back!"

"So I see! Well, don't just stand there in the closet, come on in if you like… you as well, Wilbert," he added, and Dale carefully ducked past the closet doors so not to hit his head, closing the doors behind them.

Lucky couldn't help but gape as she looked around the room. It was a small room, rather close, in fact; part of the reason was because it was cluttered with so much stuff that it made his chaotic shop look as if it were in order. Stacks of items were shoved on shelves or simply stacked on top of one another, including a very impressive stack of books that tottered from the floor up to a high vault ceiling, threatening to fall at any moment. A tiny window near the top filtered down a rather extraordinary amount of sunshine, leaving rather intriguing patches of light around the room as if highlighting some of Toby's various collections.

"Care to join us? It is good to see you again, Fortuna. I've been so worried about the Wart, lately. Have you any good news?" Toby asked intently as the two somehow managed to squeeze in around his tiny round table.

"Yeah, well… sort of," Lucky said, taking an offered cup. "Physically, he's doing a lot better. Mentally, he's still a tad loco," she admitted. "Some guy he knew from school was able to get him to response, only the first response Aurelius had was trying to kill him."

"Oh?" Toby frowned, furrowing his brows. "Who was it?"

"I think his name was Donovan or something. I dunno, I never saw him before," Lucky admitted, but Toby smiled and nodded approvingly.

"I know him, I remember him rather well, in fact…. tall boy with an even taller horse. Used to tease Aurelius incessantly. In fact, he's the one who first started calling him Wart, come to think of it. Conner was a good student and he has always had a good heart, but he and his best friend could be trying at times," Toby mused, thinking back.

"It sounds like there were still some hard feelings, then, if Aurelius woke up wanting to kill him," Ambrose said.

"Maybe. I wasn't there, so I didn't hear what was said. We were playing cards in the cafeteria when he came out of it," Lucky explained. "Now he's fighting everybody who gets near him, but Doctor Bliant seems pretty happy about it. He said that Rel's got a better chance of recovering if he's fighting, but they have to keep an eye on him for a while to make sure he doesn't try anything stupid." Lucky sighed. "He's really broken up still."

"Yes, and that's not the sort of thing that goes away," Toby said quietly. "Instead, he has to learn to live with it… and that won't be easy. Change never is; especially when it's as drastic as this. Still, as you say, he is a fighter…. I simply hope he recognizes the moment when it is time for him to lay down his weapon and negotiate for peace."

* * *

Aurelius reluctantly opened his eyes, trying to place a scent, but it took an extra minute to adjust to the blaring white room. It was quieter than normal; subdued somehow. Had they finally taken the chance and left him alone? Forcing himself fully awake so not to miss the opportunity, he stopped cold when he realized there was someone in the room after all.

"What are you doing here?" Aurelius mumbled grumpily.

"I got the short end of the straw again," Ginger said expressionlessly. "Seriously, though, you just missed some loud family drama. Your grandfather was attempting to get your parents to actually go home for a bit to get some real rest, and even though your father didn't seem to be completely against the idea, your mother, well… let's just say she was against it. So of course your father refused to leave if she was staying, then all the sudden there was a row between her and Thomas that practically shook the foundations of the hospital. Then Thomas completely lost his temper and your parents are spending the night in the Tower now. Too bad he didn't lock up Andrew too," Ginger said wistfully. "He's been driving me crazy for days. But your brothers and sisters weren't stupid enough to test Thomas after he's gotten himself worked up, and they went home willingly. So, some of us from the Ministry and some of your friends have been filling in shifts while they're resting."

"What friends?" Aurelius said acidly.

"Xavier, Conner, Eigil and Stella, Molly and Arthur, Stock… even Heph made a brief appearance, and you know how he's gotten over the last few years. He's become more obsessed about money than Stock used to be," Ginger snorted. "Percy, Charlie, and I have been trying to fill in the gaps, since the Aurors have been too busy watching the doors of this place to be able to help. Word got in the paper that you were down, so, as Tonks put it, 'the cats are having a singalong.' Dark Wizards nobody's heard tell about for ages have suddenly come out of hiding. Three of them were even stupid enough to try and sneak in here to try and finish the job."

"Oh, let them, I don't care," Aurelius said.

"No, I don't suppose you do, but it's not really about you, is it?" Ginger said. Aurelius squinted at her. "It's about Aurors taking care of one of their own, for one thing. If anyone got to you it'd reflect on the entire department, not to mention the fact that Dark Wizards held in check before would start running rampant. You know as well as I do that there aren't enough Aurors to go around, so that would put more pressure on the LE officers and investigators, and force them into certain situations they weren't trained to handle. It's also about your family, and the effect this whole thing has had on them. Your mother is a wreck, your father walks around as if he's trying to carry the weight of the entire world on his shoulders, and your siblings and twin cousins talk in whispers about dragging you out of bed and making you face reality whether you like it or not.

"Well, you're lucky, because you woke up to me and a bowl of rather thin pumpkin soup. And I wouldn't give me any trouble about it if I were you, because as I told you a minute before, your grandfather is in rare form and he told me that if I couldn't get you to eat to let him know. Personally, considering the mood he's in, I wouldn't want to risk it."

Aurelius eyed her warily but didn't say anything. Taking that as acceptance, Ginger nodded and helped him sit up, despite the fact it was obvious that he didn't want her to do so, and then plopped down the tray in front of him.

"Please tell me you're not going to make me spoon feed you. I don't think I'd live it down, considering Andrew's parting shot was to ask me if I'd feed him next," Ginger said.

"Andrew should go choke on his own pancakes," Aurelius said, stirring the soup skeptically. Ginger grinned at him.

"Funny, that's what I told him," Ginger chuckled, and then began badgering Aurelius until he reluctantly took a bite.

Thomas was pacing the length of the cafeteria, which was mostly empty for the first time in three days. Every now and then, someone would scurry in for a coffee or tea, but they quickly scurried back out again, preferring to juggle their drinks in the lobby rather than to take on Thomas in such a mood. Morfinn yawned, trying to shake off his lack of focus by standing at the espresso machine with a tiny mug he kept refilling. A few minutes later Ginger came in, smiling as she put the tray on the ledge to be taken care of.

"Well? It doesn't look like he touched it," Thomas snapped.

"He did, he took two spoonfuls," Ginger said.

"What? Is that it? Give me that! I got an idea. Someone hand me a bottle…"

"I think two spoonfuls is quite good, considering how long it's been since he's eaten," Morfinn interrupted. Thomas folded his arms and gazed at him warily. "It takes a stomach time to adjust when it's been a few days, Thomas, and either way, it is progress."

"Well, I can't say it wasn't without a fight. Aurelius is still in a worse temperament than the Minister here."

"It's about time I checked on him again then," Morfinn said, glancing at his pocket watch and downing one last drink. "Who's in there now?"

"Percy, I think, and one of the nurses," Ginger yawned, glancing at the time as the doctor left. "I'll be glad when the next shift gets here. You know what Draco said would happen if any of us fell asleep on one of his meetings again."

"Ignore him. He's just in a snit because of that editorial in the _Oracle_," Thomas said, waving it off.

"Oh, you mean the _Convalescent Snape Cripples Ministry_ one?" Ginger asked. "Or the _Who's Really in Charge_ one?"

"Both!" Thomas grumbled. "It's absolutely ridiculous, considering there's only been a handful of us here at any given time. You know how many people work for the Ministry."

"True, although to be fair, the majority of the Auror department has been here…"

"And have made captures, proving they have a legitimate reason to be here."

"True, although it does add to the article's idea that they're acting as 'Ministry paid bodyguard's for Auror Snape'…"

"Whose side are you on, anyhow?" Thomas shouted at her.

"I'm here, aren't I?" Ginger pointed out calmly. Thomas growled and started pacing again. "And that other article that claims Professor Snape has the government wrapped around his finger is quite silly, really. It almost sounds like pre-election rhetoric to me."

"It also claims that I have more control over the government than Draco does," Thomas growled.

"Well, don't you?" Ginger challenged him mischievously.

"Yes, but I hardly want it to be public knowledge. Now, go away. I've had more than enough spunk for one night," Thomas glared, waving her off as he continued to pace.

"Then you've got problems, because here comes Alex," Ginger chuckled, getting herself a cup of coffee before leaving. Thomas put his hands on his hips in disbelief as Alex came in with Harry not far behind.

"What are you doing back here? It's not even close to being morning yet!" Thomas snapped at her.

"Nonsense, it's been morning for two hours," Alex said.

"It's my fault, Thomas, I cornered her so we could do a bit of after hours reconnaissance in the Ministry," Harry spoke up. "I needed her help with something Ron found in an old _Daily Prophet_."

"Oh?" Thomas said with obvious interest.

"We had it recopied," Alex said, handing it out and tapping the article.

"'Well known artifacts specialist Jackson Perrell and his sometime companion, Ilmar Stonewall, who works as an assistant for the Ministry of Artifacts, were reported missing after Stonewall failed to appear at work. It was thought by his coworkers that he had accompanied Perrell on an expedition that weekend, but neither have been located. This comes on the heels of a Ministry inquiry in the disappearance of Jackson's wife Felina Perrell on suspicion of foul play. Law Enforcement will not comment, citing the fact that all three disappearances are under ongoing investigation,'" Thomas said, then paused thoughtfully. "And you're sure one or both of these men were the ones in the uncovered chamber?"

"At least one of them was," Harry said with a nod. "I took the existing wand down to Ollivander's and got the original owner's name, then drafted Ron to help me look through the newspaper archives to look for any mention of him. After we found this article, I went looking for Alex. I realized at that point that it was very possible considering he was an artifacts specialist that they might have had a license out for acquiring the items we found."

"And they had," Alex agreed. "According to the license paperwork, the Ministry of Artifacts got a tip that several items of magical but unknown properties were in the history museum in London, and they gave it to Stonewall as an assignment. They were never recovered."

"Until now," Thomas snorted. "How many of the items were from the museum?"

"All but the satchel and the paw itself," Alex said.

"So what do you think?" Harry asked Thomas.

"I think we have more than enough evidence on hand to prove to Draco that this cold case deserves to be reopened," Thomas said.

"We'll have to go through Coffer, too, since a lot of this information is out of his department," Harry said.

"We should grab Anna as well," Thomas agreed. "Hopefully this will be the break we need to find out who's behind all of this."


	23. Overcoming Obstacles

_A/N Second Chapter this weekend. Thanks for reading!_

Chapter Twenty-Three

Overcoming Obstacles

The sound of shattering glass echoed through the halls of St. Mungo's. Severus glanced toward the door as a pair of nurses rushed by, unsurprised to see Conner step into the cafeteria a few seconds later.

"Aurelius is awake," Conner said innocently, and then broke out in a chuckle. Severus shook his head at him disapprovingly, waiting for Conner to get something to drink before gesturing to a seat. "You might want to make sure that anyone brave enough to give that man flowers charms their vases against breaking from now on, Professor. That last one came at me like a Bludger."

"Amazing that you still keep coming back," Severus said evenly. "Considering he's tried to kill you twice in the past week."

"Three times actually," Conner said, sitting down across from him. "I don't mind it if he takes it out on me, Professor, as long as he's getting that emotion out. It's that deep brooding he gets into that's the problem."

"Is it?" Severus mused.

"Do you disagree, Professor?" Conner asked curiously, sipping his tea once before cringing and adding more sugar.

"No, I happen to agree, I simply wonder about your tendency to give advice on the subject," Severus said expressionlessly, "even to the head doctor on occasion."

"I've never been known for withholding my opinion," Conner said with a grin.

"Yes, well, be that as it may, it made me curious enough to question your former classmates as to what your profession is," Severus said in a disapproving tone.

"I knew I couldn't hide it from you," Conner sighed. "I became a stand-up comedian, just like you always threatened I'd become during class if I didn't pay attention."

"You'd have been better off if you were, considering what my wife will do when she finds out about it," Severus said. "She is of the opinion that we can handle whatever may come up without that sort of help."

"I agree with her," Conner said calmly, pausing to snag a plate of biscuits, while Severus gave him a steady, questioning gaze. "Look, I admit I have the title and a piece of paper that says I'm allowed to look in people's heads," he said with obvious amusement. "Whether it actually means anything or not is probably best left to my patients to decide. But the two of you have been practicing psychologists for longer than I've been alive, whether you have the proper paperwork or not… especially you, Professor. I don't have to look far to find any proof of it, considering Morfinn Bliant is down the hall and most of the Blacks are in the lobby. I am just here as Rel's friend, to offer my support and also back Professor Craw and your decisions if needed. If you think I'm overstepping, feel free to chuck me out. I've been thrown out of worse places."

"Why does that not surprise me," Severus said dryly, and Conner grinned at him. "And why is it that with the exception of the Weasley twins, all the class clowns I've had seem to get in such serious professions?"

"Hm. Less face paint, maybe," Conner suggested, biting into a biscuit.

Just then, Jennifer came in with a wooden box in her hands. Exchanging a quick glance with Severus, Conner got up to get more hot water for his tea.

"There you are, Severus. Is he still asleep?" Jennifer asked.

"I believe he just woke up a few minutes ago," Severus said, thumbing through a paper.

"Good, I really want to make sure he gets this before we leave," Jennifer sighed. "Although to be honest, I really do have mixed feelings about going back to work right now."

"Jennifer, we would have had to go back sooner or later," Severus said quietly. "Aurelius is physically much stronger now, and you know better than anyone that this is going to take time for him to recover. We'll be back to visit every evening, and in the meantime, Alicia and Alex will be here to look after things, as well as Conner and some of his other friends. Isn't that right, Conner?"

"Of course, Professor. I'll be here as long as I'm needed," Conner agreed.

"Oh! Conner," Jennifer said, apparently having just noticed him standing there and giving him a warm hug. "I don't know what we would have done without your help!"

"You would have found a way through it, Professor Craw, as Snapes always do," Conner protested. "Weren't you going to do something with that box?"

"Oh! Yes, I should say so! Excuse me for a bit, I'd rather do this myself, really," Jennifer admitted apologetically to Severus, but he simply nodded supportively as she wandered out the door. She was too preoccupied with her own thoughts to see the exchange between the other two just before she left.

Aurelius was glaring fiercely at the nurse in the room. She had paused to pick up the flowers and put them in a wooden vase before happily setting up his breakfast tray, apparently oblivious to his absolute revulsion over her cheerful morning mood. There was a gentle knock at the open door, and Aurelius folded his arms when he saw his mother peering in.

"All right for visitors now?" Jennifer asked.

"Of course, Professor Craw! I'm sure he'd be delighted to see you!" the nurse beamed.

"Thank you, Carinda," Jennifer said. A look of amusement appearing on Jennifer's face as the nurse left, still humming softly to herself.

"I see she hasn't changed much," Jennifer said under her breath, sitting down beside the bed. "She was like that in school, too." Aurelius simply turned the other way, as if looking out the window. Jennifer sighed, glancing at the tray. "Not in the mood for porridge? Not that I blame you, I suppose. I remember when you were little, you preferred it with a bit of treacle drizzled on top. I guess around here they'd consider that unhealthy, although I'm sure if you start eating a bit more, they'd probably give you something more substantial."

"I'm not hungry," Aurelius said irritably, pushing the tray away. Jennifer sighed.

"Is there anything else you might want? I'd be willing to smuggle something in if it'd help you eat better," Jennifer said in a low voice, but he didn't say anything else. "Well, perhaps you'll be hungry later then," she reasoned. "I have something more important to give to you anyhow, really. You see, Sagittari found it that night… that night he found you in the Centaur Glen, and… well, I've been safekeeping it for you," Jennifer explained with a wan smile. "Now that you're feeling better, I thought you might like it back. It's… well, it's Pali's horn, Aurelius," she said softly.

She carefully slid away the lid of the oak box and slid it underneath, gently holding it out. The spiral ivory horn was gently cradled in purple crushed velvet and had been carefully cleaned to reveal its pale beauty. Aurelius stared at it almost as if he were looking through it rather than at it when she set the tray aside and put it on his lap.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Jennifer whispered. "It's not like Keki's horn was at all, really, but I can't help thinking of her when I look at it… the last gift of a Unicorn… a gift of magic, and a gift of healing, and a gift of love… even in death, they show compassion to those affected by their passing. Now it is your magic, to do with as you like; perhaps to make a difference, as I believe Keki's horn did helping to heal the forest. But if you would like some advice, I'd suggest you send a sliver to Ollivander's to go into a new wand, and perhaps you'll have the chance I did to pass it on to someone else who would honor it, just like you have done Keki great honor over the years with your wand."

Aurelius frowned thoughtfully at that, slowly moving his hand over to the box and gently running a finger against the ridges, a strange tingle going through him as he did so.

Suddenly he was overcome with grief, unable to stop the barrage of tears that began to fall as the impact of Pali's death once again hit him full force. Jennifer quickly sat on the bed and pulled Aurelius over to her. He felt as if he were eleven again, both wanting comfort and yet uncomfortable with receiving it; wanting his mother there and yet wishing he were alone at the same time, and all when he had no control of his emotions whatsoever and wishing he could have. It was a helpless feeling; helpless because he couldn't do anything to fix what had happened, and helpless to fight the fear and dread of facing a future alone, completely oblivious to the fact that his family had never left his side. It just wasn't that sort of loneliness; it was deeper than that, and now there was no Pali to save him from the pain it caused.

Jennifer didn't say a single word, simply letting him cry himself out, her eyes closed as she thought back over the years… memories of him growing up… memories of him going through school and the aches and pains that came with it… memories of his eventual triumph over his own shortcomings to become who he now was. Somehow, it'd be all right, she thought to herself. He had survived so much already and accomplished so much in his young life, surely he'd get through this… she paused then at the irony of the thought… his young life. She had been married by his age. She had begun to branch out by then, and it was only then that it occurred to her that she had been practically the same age when she had lost Keki.

It was as she was thinking of her own loss that she noticed that Aurelius had stopped crying and she sat back from him. There was a somewhat numb expression on his face, but what thoughts came through were open to her, dwelling on memories of his own as he touched the horn again.

"I think… I think I will have a sliver to put into a wand," Aurelius said softly. Jennifer smiled at him. "But… I don't want it to go to just anyone."

"I remember the feeling," Jennifer chuckled softly. "I remember how I felt, waiting for someone to get Keki's wand, terrified someone would get it before one of you did."

Aurelius frowned as he thought back, gazing at her steadily.

"And then I got it and threw a fit about it. What an idiot I was! You must have been crushed!" Aurelius realized, but Jennifer put her hand over his, the two of them exchanging their memories of the event through each other's expressions.

"You weren't old enough to understand, Rel. You didn't know any better, so don't blame yourself," Jennifer said. "If anything, I suppose I should have mentioned the story of the wand before, and perhaps you wouldn't have rejected it. But I was so worried that one of you wouldn't get it… it all seems rather silly now, really. It was always meant to be your wand." Aurelius nodded at that in acceptance.

"I am sorry, all the same," Aurelius said at last.

"Thank you, Aurelius. I'll let you make it up to me by just getting better. Right now, it's really all I want," Jennifer said quietly. Aurelius nodded unsurely at that, numbly watching as she got up. "I'm going to call your father in now, then we need to head back to the castle for a while. But don't worry; there are still a ton of people here waiting to see you. In fact, if St. Mungo's was smart, they'd add a hotel to the top floor. I think they'd make a fortune," Jennifer joked. But Aurelius seemed quite spent now and didn't reply. Even so, Jennifer nodded to herself, feeling a lot more reassured than she had when she came in.

* * *

When Toby marched his second year Ancient Magic class out of the back of the school and over towards the back of the greenhouses, none of them had a clue what he was up to. They were also baffled when they saw another student standing over by where Toby was leading them, apparently waiting for them.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Don asked, while Dale was discreetly trying to wave to her.

"Miss Snape has a free period now so I asked her if she would help supervise my class today, and she kindly agreed," Toby explained. Lucky gave them a smug look.

"Supervise?" Delia said unsurely.

"Class! Today we are going to learn the valuable lesson of cooperation, along with a healthy dose of coordination," Toby declared. "Both are highly recommended before you attempt to dabble in Ancient Magic, so I am going to set up a challenge for you today! The catch is, this challenge is for the whole class, which means you will pass or fail together; it's an exercise in cooperation, after all. So I suggest you _all_ do your best," he said, giving a sideways glance towards Don, who folded his arms. "So! Does everyone see that pile of corn over there on the ground?" he asked, pointing to a small pile of kernels that looked more like it had fallen out of the top of a bag rather than intentionally put there. "Your task is to pick up that corn there, and plant it over here… three kernels each will do," he said, pointing to a small row of tilled ground, the holes already made for them.

"Sir?" Dirk said with a frown. "Even if we do it by hand, there's not all that much corn to plant. I really don't see how that could possibly be much of a challenge for the whole class to do."

"No?" Toby said innocently. Dale frowned, noticing a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Well, I suppose we'll have to see! Why don't you all come over here and pick up a kernel, and we'll go from there."

"This is stupid," Don said, rolling his eyes as he and the rest of the class moved forward.

But with every step they took, the pile looked both bigger and farther away. With every movement, their bodies seemed to stiffen and they had trouble walking. Within half a dozen steps, they weren't walking upright at all.

"What's going on?" Delia clicked.

"This is very strange!" Pimra clicked back.

"Wait a minute! We're ants!" Mike whirred in realization.

"Now, now, ladies and um… well, ladies," clicked Toby. "No time for clicking or clacking or scent messages, for that matter. Come along! We have a pile of corn to move!"

Uncertainly the ants followed behind Toby in erratic patterns, reminding Lucky of how ants acted just as it was starting to rain. She carefully sat down beside where they were with her hands around her knees, watching with interest as the troop arrived at the corn pile.

"There is no way we're going to be able to move that," Dirk clicked, overwhelmed by the size of even one of the kernels.

"Well, you won't with that attitude," Toby whirred back. "Come along! Everyone get a kernel, put your mandibles into it!"

Reluctantly, Dale worked his way towards one of the kernels, sizing it up. Well, the ants he had seen could carry more than their weight, he mused, and he didn't think Toby would have come up with such a challenge if it were something that was impossible to do. After taking a moment to move his limbs and mandibles so he could get used to how everything worked, Dale finally went over and got the kernel into a position he could actually grip it, a bit amazed at how easily he lifted it up. It'd be keeping it balanced and moving while carrying it that was going to be hard, he realized, not to mention that where they were actually supposed to put them was too far away to really see from where he was.

"Good job! Keep at it, if you haven't gotten one yet! We'll never get it done unless everyone helps!" Toby clicked. "Those of you who are ready, follow me!"

Dale adjusted his kernel and joined those who had somehow managed to grab one, following Toby. The ground became strange and harder to navigate, and if he hadn't been expecting it, he might have fallen into the hole that the seed was supposed to go in. Finally he dropped it, and it toppled into the hole.

"Good, good... well, don't just stand there! Go get more!" Toby clicked. Reluctantly Dale turned around and scurried back towards the pile, wondering if they were going to be able to manage it even with everyone's help. But when he got back to the pile, he saw that several ants still hadn't managed to get hold of a kernel for their first trip, let alone a second.

"I can't do it! I am trying!" Ambrose clicked.

"Dirk, Pimra, come help me!" Dale said, going over to Ambrose, Don and a couple other students having trouble and grabbing a hold of a kernel and helping Ambrose get his mandibles around it. In no time, he was off, and Dale went to help Cliff pull kernels off the top of the pile. Dirk then grabbed one for Don, but he had no interest in picking it up even after Dirk positioned it for him.

"Take it Don!" Dirk ordered.

"I'm not doing this! It's stupid! I'm going to tell my father he's torturing us again!" Don clicked.

"You're gonna be sorry if you end up solely responsible for our mark today!" Dirk whirred. "You're making more work for the rest of us!"

"So what else is new?" Dale clicked dryly before picking up another kernel for himself and following behind the other ants. Suddenly, his feelers started to twitch as the entire ground began to move. Not seeing what was causing the shaking, he picked up the pace, hoping to get as close to Toby as possible just in case it was anything to worry about.

"Up and in! But don't fall in! There you go!" Toby clicked, standing by each hole they were trying to fill then moving onto the next as they did so. "Don't delay, head back for another, " he said when Dale lingered, and he reluctantly turned to get more.

Above them, Lucky watched with interest, having completely lost track of who was who. The only two she was sure of was Toby, near the tilled area, and Don, who hadn't moved from where he stood near the pile, despite another ant's attempt at getting him to.

"What I wouldn't give for a magnifying glass right now," Lucky smirked. "I'd get him to move." But just then, she noticed that one of the groups of ants had returned and had gathered together, and before she knew it, several of them ganged up to pick up the wayward ant and carried him along with a kernel back towards Toby. Lucky laughed outright, and would have probably fallen backwards had she not been afraid of squishing one of them.

It was just then that she realized that someone was coming up from the other side of her, and she blinked in surprise when she saw who it was.

"Hey! You're back!" Lucky said. Severus stepped over to her, closing and putting away his watch.

"I know I will probably regret asking this, but exactly why are you sitting out behind the greenhouses by yourself in the middle of a school day?" Severus asked.

"Just makin' sure nobody steps on Toby's class," Lucky explained. Severus squinted. "So don't pass me, or someone might get hurt."

"Steps on?" Severus repeated, then followed Lucky's gaze to try and figure out what she was looking at. "Oh, no," he groaned, realizing at last where they were, watching along with Lucky with no intentions of going anywhere.

At last, the class hour was at an end, and a rather tired group of students began to appear, stepping out of the field with a look of relief on their faces. It quickly turned into warm greetings as they saw with surprise that the Headmaster was standing there. None of them seemed gladder to see him than Don.

Before Toby appeared behind them, Severus had found himself inundated with questions by the group of students now surrounding him.

"Yes, I'm back, and yes, Auror Snape is doing better," Severus said, raising his voices over the students, putting his hand up in protest to quiet them. "I wouldn't be here if he wasn't."

"Well, it's about time! This stupid tinker has been torturing us!" Don blurted out.

"Mr. Coventry, you are to treat every member of the staff with respect, no matter how temporary the replacement. But if you arrange an appointment with me through your advisor, I'm more than prepared to take complaints," Severus said. Don looked somewhat placated by that. "Now, why don't you head off to your next class? That goes for you as well, Miss Snape… and I want everyone in my class to prepare a twenty-four inch essay on what you've learned in my absence, please!"

As the class went in, Dale lingered a bit behind, waiting for Lucky to notice him standing there so that the two of them could walk back into the castle together.

"They look well together, don't they?" Toby said, watching them go. "Fortuna's really started to blossom since she has gotten back. She truly seems to thrive on that pedestal he's made for her. Anyway, I have been attempting to convince her to take Ancient Magic, considering where her talents lie. That's why I chose her to stand point for me today."

"Yes, about that, old man. Don't you think you made it more than a little obvious who you are with a stunt like that?" Severus said disapprovingly.

"Oh, no more than usual, no," Toby said unconcernedly. "Only two of your students suspect anything, and both of them were going to find out about me eventually anyway. And how is your son?"

"Out of the woods, but with a long road ahead of him," Severus said quietly. "He's going to be staying in the hospital a few more days as a precaution, to make doubly sure he doesn't regress."

"Still, that means he has made progress, doesn't it? And perhaps now that he's improved, I can actually go and visit the boy without running the risk of interfering in things I oughtn't," Toby said as much to himself as to Severus.

"There's _always_ a risk of that," Severus said with such exasperation that Toby couldn't help but chuckle, nodding to him in agreement as the two of them walked back inside.

* * *

When Toby arrived that evening, he peered in to see Alex and Xavier keeping Aurelius company; rather, they were busy attempting to get caught up on what the other had been doing since school, while Aurelius stayed obstinately silent, with only a bite out of his dinner before setting it aside and sitting up with his arms crossed and a vexed look on his face.

"Good evening," Toby said with a smile when he peered in.

"Mr. Toby," Xavier said, immediately getting up. "It has been awhile."

"Ah, Xavier! So it has! Still living in Canada?" Toby inquired politely. Aurelius rolled his eyes.

"Yes, sir, just outside of Polaris Town," Xavier nodded. "And I hear you recently got married? To be honest, it rather surprised me, really."

"Yes. It surprised me too," Toby admitted with a chuckle. "Mind if I have a chat with Aurelius?"

"Not at all. I need to be getting back to the factory anyhow," Xavier admitted with a sigh, turning to Aurelius. "See you later, Rel. Owl me when you get out of the hospital, okay? Let me know how things are going."

"If he doesn't, I will," Alex said with an almost threatening smile as she got up. "I'll be back later, Rel, Achilles."

Achilles hissed in return from where he lay on Aurelius' arm, but Aurelius simply watched them go with an odd look of irritation on his face. Toby watched them go as well, before taking a seat beside him.

"I think my sister is about to do something utterly stupid," Aurelius growled.

"Oh?" Toby asked, blinking in surprise. "Did you warn her?"

"No," Aurelius said with a sigh. "She doesn't know she's going to do it yet."

"Ah," Toby said, but then chuckled. "Been there done that. But I didn't come here to talk about her, really. How are you doing, Wart?"

"I'd be better if everyone would stop treating me like a child and leave me alone," Aurelius muttered.

"I doubt that they mean to," Toby said gently. "You did give everyone quite a scare, after all. Many of your friends and family didn't think you would ever recover."

"I won't," Aurelius said softly.

"No… no, I suppose not," Toby said somberly. "No more than I did when my best friend died." Aurelius gazed at him steadily. "In fact, in some ways, he is the reason I'm still here, because I came to realize that the good side of Arthur would never be forgotten as long as I was alive, despite the tragedy at the end."

"Yes… you've told me that before," Aurelius murmured.

"Yes," Toby sighed softly. "I'm not sure I could have truly saved him even if I had been there, really, at least not without making things worse. He made his own decisions in the matter, and I think it might have turned out badly no matter what I did… after all, nobody's perfect. He was born before his time in so many ways; yet still naïve and too damn idealistic to see that his world was about to crumble. And he spent too much time hoping things would get better rather than truly doing anything about it… until it was too late, of course. If only he had learned to truly listen to himself… perhaps the fact that he didn't was my fault, really. He had too much faith in a world poised to betray him in every way imaginable, and it did so without mercy."

"You didn't betray him," Aurelius pointed out.

"Didn't I?" Toby said, shaking his head. "I wasn't there when he needed me most, whether or not it was of my own making is beside the point; it was my fool decisions that led me there. In this respect, you have done better than I did; you were with your best friend when he needed you most. I envy that," he admitted quietly. "And I envy the fact that although a part of you was lost when Pali died, a part of Pali is still alive within you. So I hope you live well, Aurelius, for Pali's sake as well as your own." Aurelius gazed at him, but it was evident from his expression that he really wasn't ready to say anything.

"Well, now that I've said my peace," Toby continued with a dramatic change of tone to lighten the mood. "I have something for you that I found in the shop earlier. In fact, I tripped over them just after I returned from Hogwarts. Dratted things just kept wanting to catch on my jacket… ah, here they are," he said cheerfully. Aurelius couldn't help but stare when Toby pulled out a set of golf clubs from underneath his coat and set them on the floor. "I was thinking of just leaving it for Christmas, but I didn't want to make a scene about it, and I rather thought you might be tired of renting clubs by now."

"How do you know about that?" Aurelius asked. "I haven't told anyone about that."

"Just as I said. I asked my shop what you needed and this is what appeared. If I may say so, it seemed to me a very reasonable choice… if you are inclined to the sport, that is," Toby said.

"I went back down to Southfleet a week after Excalibur was returned," Aurelius admitted with a sigh. "As relieved as I was not to have to bear it anymore, I also missed its presence."

"Understandable," Toby nodded.

"I guess I went back to see if my playing that day was just the sword, or if part of it was me," Aurelius said thoughtfully.

"Oh? And how did you do?" Toby asked with interest.

"Lousy," Aurelius admitted, Toby chuckling at that. "But that just made me more frustrated, so I paid a caddy an exorbitant amount of Muggle money to discreetly teach me the basics. Then I learned that nothing stays quiet at the nineteenth no matter how much you pay the caddy; some of the other players who had been watching me thought I was a bit of a natural… so I decided perhaps it wasn't just Excalibur after all. Yes it was mainly the sword, but I don't think it could have drawn on something that wasn't there to begin with."

"A very solid conclusion," Toby agreed. "So you've been keeping it up since then?"

"On the rare occasions I had two days off," Aurelius murmured. "It's so quiet out there it gave me time to think; to sort and clear out all the work baggage I carry around so I wasn't always bring it with me when Pali and I went riding together. It had gotten to the point where even my riding him wasn't enough to bury it completely, and since Pali really didn't understand work past the concept of my trying to stop evil and keeping everyone safe, I didn't think it was fair for him to have to deal with it. Now that I look back on it, I wonder if he hadn't already begun to weaken at that point, and that's why I couldn't blend with him as I used to."

"Partially, perhaps," Toby said. "But part of it was also the fact that you were beginning to outgrow him." Aurelius frowned. "Wart, you've been an Auror for years now, and have witnessed things well beyond what you'd ever admit to because of where that job has taken you. You view the world with skepticism and wariness; any naivety you had was lost in your youth, well before you even graduated. As you have gotten older, the great universal battle between good and evil has become much more personal to you… much deeper than it ever was before. And the fact of the matter is that if you had encountered a Unicorn for the first time as you are now, not a single one of them would have gotten anywhere near you. Had you tried, you would have probably only succeeded in corrupting them. The only thing that saved Pali was the fact that the love between the two of you was so pure, Aurelius. It shielded you both from that growth and made Pali virtually incorruptible. But the hard fact behind the matter is that had Pali somehow survived and lived even a year or two more, that shield would not have been able to hold. Your friendship would have been severed forever, and quite painfully so, on both accounts.

"But providence can be merciful," Toby continued, putting a hand on Aurelius' arm when his face darkened. "As painful as this is, it was Pali's time to move on. Now it is your time to move on, but with your friendship preserved… a friendship that will live as long as you do, if not longer. It's a gift I'm not sure you truly understand enough to appreciate yet, but as you begin to make your way out of your remorse and work your life around that dull ache resulting from this loss, I think you will see it. All things must change for the world to grow… even you… even me, as much as we try to fight it," he said with a chuckle, glancing down at his wedding ring. "Preserve his memory through living a full life, Aurelius, and finding yourself some happiness. Pali would want you to be happy, you know. I dare think it's what he'd want most of all, don't you?" he said with a pause as he got up, despite not expecting an answer. "I hope you get some use out of the golf clubs. And don't worry, I won't tell anybody about this new Mugglish pastime of yours," he added with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Thank you," Aurelius said, looking both solemn and sincere as he ran his hands over the clubs in the bag.

"You're quite welcome, Wart," Toby said with a smile. As he wandered out, he paused quite unsurprised to see Morfinn and Conner standing right outside the door. "Having a consult, are we? Any prognosis, Doctors?"

"I think he's about ready to return home to his family," Conner decided, glancing at Morfinn, who nodded to him with a thin smile.

"Yes, I think so too," he agreed.

"Yes, I think you're right," Toby said cheerfully. "I must be off now, lots to do, you know. The holidays are just around the corner, after all," he said with a wave as he wandered back down the hall.


	24. The Third Bludger

Twenty-Four

The Third Bludger

"Just this once, Marie?"

"No."

"It isn't like anything is going to happen, you know, not with everyone watching…"

"No."

"Well, what if I promise to be extra safe this time?"

"No, you won't."

Dale let out a long sigh, while Lucky was, for the first time in weeks, pretending that he didn't exist, and pretending that her Transfiguration homework was more interesting.

"I'm not going to break my neck, Marie. I haven't yet, have I?" he pointed out.

"That doesn't mean you won't this time," Lucky snapped.

"Do you really think my mother would let me do any activity that would get me killed when the band has an appearance in two weeks?" Dale asked with exasperation. Lucky gazed at him dubiously.

Just then, the door to the Owl Room opened and Delia and Ambrose walked in with history books under their arms.

"Hi Dale! Hi Lucky! She still won't agree to go to the Quidditch game, huh?" Ambrose asked cheerfully, while Delia looked between the two of them thoughtfully.

"No, she won't," Dale said.

"Really, Lucky, you ought to go at least for Connie's sake, being your roommate and all. Isn't it her first game?" Delia said.

"Not to mention Gary, Bobby and Laura are playing too," Ambrose added.

"Great, so in one game we could lose a quarter of the Owls, and you guys want me there to witness it!" Lucky snapped.

"Like that would happen!" Delia said with exasperation, while Dale simply chuckled at her.

"Well, it's good to know you care enough to worry, Lucky," Dale said.

"About some of you, anyway," Lucky said noncommittally, refusing to look at him despite his obvious efforts to get her attention. Then Dale snapped his fingers.

"I've got it. I'm going to make one of my replacement goals to get you to start coming to all my games. Maybe the next one is to convince you to watch one without flinching," Dale teased, and then looked smug when it was obvious he had gotten her riled up.

"Are you going for broke?" Lucky said threateningly.

"Well, I've been lucky so far this year, who knows? Maybe you'll change your mind and give it a chance," Dale said smoothly.

"Why you…" Lucky began. Dale quickly got up and got out of the way, grinning when he saw she was scrambling for a comeback. "You better hope I _don't_ change my mind! I'd hang you up by your ears from the ceiling if you weren't so close to it already!"

"Oh, no, Lucky. Please tell me you're not resorting to height jokes," Dale tsked, shaking his head disapprovingly.

"Right, true, you got a point," Lucky decided. "No matter how tall you are, it ain't anywhere near as high as your voice is when you're singing." Dale's grin disappeared altogether.

"Hey!" Dale said in protest. "No fair! If I made any comments about your accent, you'd flatten me!"

"Yeah, but I don't make myself a public spectacle, either," Lucky snorted.

"And what do you think you're doing now?" he challenged her. Lucky blinked and turned around, a bit surprised to see not only Ambrose and Delia, who had been glancing back and forth between them from the beginning, but also Lindsay, Laura, and Pimra, who were standing just inside the door and wondering what they had walked into.

"Well, you started it," Lucky retorted. "I'll be back later. I'm gonna go check for mail," she decided, quickly escaping the room.

"I did start it," Dale agreed, while everyone else got their lunches and found their seats.

"Really, Dale, I don't know why you have to get her riled up like that," Laura sighed at him. "Honestly, I do believe you do it on purpose."

"Well…yeah," Dale admitted with a chuckle.

"Is there something going on between the two of you that you haven't told us about yet?" Delia asked.

"We're not fighting any more than usual," Dale shrugged.

"I don't mean that," Delia said impatiently. "I mean that ever since Lucky came back from visiting her brother, the two of you have been studying together, not to mention it seems like the two of you are either here or gone completely. I never see one of you without seeing the other anymore."

"First off, she's been only been back about a week, Delia. Second, all of us Owls study together at some point or another. Third, Lucky wouldn't be caught dead in the journalist room, let alone in choir, so we're not always doing the same things, and fourth… I get enough Q and A from those first year girls, so would you be a good friend and kindly butt out?" Dale said. Delia's face grew red. "I'll be back in a moment. I need to check on something real quick," he said, getting up.

He left his books out on the table and slipped out the door, waving to Connie and Helena as they made their way in. Connie blinked when she noticed everyone looking towards the door.

"What?" Connie said.

"Honestly, it was only meant as a simple question!" Delia said with exasperation. "I mean really, what's the big deal, even if they are seeing each other? It isn't like everyone didn't know he was gone on her already."

"Oh, that," Connie said, finding her seat.

"Connie, you're her roommate, surely you've noticed it," Delia went on.

"I think we ought to respect their privacy," Ambrose said.

"I agree. Delia, I think you should do as Dale asks and let it go," Laura said. "If there is something between them… and I'm not saying there is, mind you… but if there is, it's obviously something they're not comfortable going public with. Considering Dale's position, I think it's understandable, don't you?"

"I suppose, but it isn't like that sort of thing would ever leave Hogwarts," Delia said.

"Don't be so sure of that," Pimra said, getting comfortable and sorting through her books. "Those first year Ravenclaw girls especially can't stand Lucky, and I'm sure any one of them would say something if they thought anything was going on."

"Well, I don't think they could say much that anyone in the outside world believe, but I do think Pimra's right in that this is more about Lucky then it is about Dale," Lindsay said. "Dale's used to publicity, good or bad. It's Lucky who's uncomfortable with it. She probably doesn't want to admit she might like him after putting him off all this time."

"So you think there is something going on, then?" Delia asked.

"Of course there is. It's obvious, isn't it?" Lindsay said, ignoring Laura's disapproving frown. But Delia nodded to her, glad for even second hand confirmation.

"Well, I'm happy for them," Ambrose said firmly. "And I think as their mates we ought to stop talking behind their backs and do our part to kept it quiet."

"That I can agree with," Delia nodded, the others doing the same. "I'm just hurt they decided not to confide in us is all." Several glances were exchanged at that, but no one said anything.

Dale cut through the back halls before finally making his way to the Owlery, taking the stairs two at a time to get up there, slightly out of breath by the time he had caught up with Lucky at the top.

"Sorry about the delay, I got cornered the moment you left," Dale admitted. Lucky squinted. "I don't think they bought the argument, Marie," he added in a lower voice.

"Then we'll have to come up with something else," Lucky said. Dale sighed. "Don't give me that! You don't want it getting out any more than I do."

"Well, you're right in that I don't want it getting out in the press," Dale said, pulling down her folded arms and holding onto her hands. "The last thing I want is a repeat of last year, believe me. But I can't see you keeping it from your friends for long, especially Ambrose and Connie; you've always been close. Even Bobby knows something is up, and we're still not on speaking terms."

"Sorry," Lucky said quietly.

"It definitely wasn't your fault," Dale said.

"I didn't mean it like that," Lucky snorted softly. "I just don't like knowing you haven't had anyone to talk to lately."

"I have you to talk to," Dale pointed out, pulling her arms around him. "And even if I never speak to anyone else again, I'm still getting the better end of the deal."

Dale leaned down as if to kiss her, but he heard the unmistakable sound of someone clearing his throat. He leapt away from Lucky in both surprise and self-preservation when he saw the Headmaster standing at the top of the stairs.

"And just what, exactly, are the two of you doing up here?" Severus asked crisply.

"I was sending a letter," Lucky said. "I wanted to see how Rel was doin'."

"That could have waited until after classes, Miss Snape. You would be better off using lunch for what it was intended," Severus said.

"I wasn't hungry," Lucky shrugged.

"In which case, you would probably have been better off studying your Ancient Runes assignment," Severus retorted. "I'd go review that now, if I were you." Lucky grimaced, glancing back apologetically towards Dale on her way down the stairs. "And just what is your excuse for being up here, Mr. Chance?"

"I just needed a bit of fresh air," Dale said quickly.

"Very well, then why don't you run down to the pens and ask Doctor Sagittari if he would drop by my study during his conference period for me. I'm sure that walk would give you plenty of fresh air," Severus said.

"Um… yes, Professor," Dale said, and then tried to move around him on the steps. But at the last moment, Severus stepped in front of him.

"Just one more thing, Mr. Chance," Severus said. "I may be content to conduct these 'random checks of the castle' as Headmaster, but if you do something that forces me to intervene, it will be as her father. Trust me, you do not want to go there."

"Understood, sir," Dale said, and Severus stepped just enough out of the way to let him wriggle past.

Severus waited until Dale was well down the stairs before stepping over to the partially open parapet door and stepped in to see his wife shaking her head and chuckling softly at him.

"You weren't too hard on them, I hope?" Jennifer asked knowingly.

"I was simply reminding him where his boundaries are, Jennifer, nothing more," Severus protested, closing the door. "After all, he is seventeen…"

"And you know perfectly well that he'd never do anything to hurt Lucky," Jennifer tsked at him. "Not to mention he's quite responsible for someone his age, surely you've seen that."

"If I didn't, I wouldn't have agreed to lend him the Time Turner next Thursday, would I? Which reminds me, don't you dare let him doze off in your classes that day. I didn't have to approve this silly band excursion of theirs…"

"No, I won't, Severus, but I'm sure it won't be a problem. Dale is used to long hours," Jennifer said.

"Yes, well, if he even _thinks_ of discussing the matter with other students at all, tie him up and send him to my office," Severus said. Jennifer chuckled again.

"Honestly, Severus, you worry too much," Jennifer said knowingly. "And I don't think it's all about Dale, either."

"Everything has been too quiet since we got back, Jennifer," Severus said. "We still don't know who cast that spell on Lucky and Dale, nor do we have any working theories about those strange accidents. It's only a matter of time before something else happens, although I admit at this point I'm more worried about Alexandria considering what she is working on. Draco finally acknowledged that they had enough evidence to warrant an inquiry into what happened to the four excavators that got trapped in the mine. If these accidents are being caused by someone trying to hide something about those deaths, she may in the line of fire, considering she is helping Harry research it."

"Well, at least they can finally look into it on some official basis," Jennifer said.

"As long as it stays out of the Law Enforcement office, yes, although I admit considering that Thomas is the Minister, Draco has plenty of reasons to request them to stay out of it. Harry was more than willing to take it on, hectic schedule or not. Artifacts and Mysteries are both cooperating as well, of course."

"Did Coffers say anything about the items? I mean, considering they had originally been acquired for the Artifacts department."

"As far as he's concerned, they belong to Thomas. As long as they're not in Muggle hands, he couldn't care less, so no headaches as far as ownership, at least," Severus said. "He, like everyone else, seems much more interested in exactly how they got there and why were they there to begin with, but I am still wondering what might have happened that someone is willing to kill to keep quiet."

"You're still thinking about going down there, aren't you?" Jennifer said seriously.

"Since Aurelius is going home with a slew of family and volunteers to keep him occupied, and things at least seem to have quieted down here, yes. In fact, it'll probably have to be now, before we start prepping for our last chapters and reviews for the holidays. I don't suppose you can manage here?" Severus asked.

"What? You're leaving me behind again?" Jennifer frowned.

"Jennifer, Hermione has really earned some time at home after filling in for us for two weeks, and you know the ropes better than anyone. Besides, you really don't want to be stuck in down that mine and in that close chamber for hours on end, do you?" Severus asked.

"No, I suppose not," Jennifer sighed. "Fine, I'll watch the castle this weekend. I wouldn't have wanted to miss the Ravenclaw game in any case."

"That I don't mind missing. It'll just be another excuse for Chance's personal cheering committee to shriek like banshees at the sight of him. Perhaps you ought to consider putting a Sonorous Shield around the stands before he graces the Pitch with his presence?" Severus suggested. Jennifer simply shook her head and wisely decided not to comment.

Before she really had much time to think about it, the weekend was soon upon them, and she found herself gathering up a stack of tests to mark at the Headmaster's desk, expecting a quiet morning. But it was not long before there was a knock on the doors, and Jennifer opened it curiously to see Danyelle standing on the other side, obviously surprised to see her.

"Severus isn't here?" Danny asked.

"No, he's out for the weekend. Is something wrong?" Jennifer asked, pulling down her spectacles.

"It's Gloria, actually. Taylor says she's come down with Tangerine Spots," Danny sighed.

"Oh no! And at that young age, too, that poor baby! And what are you doing here? No, never mind even asking, your place is home right now," Jennifer said, shooing her with her hands.

"Yes, but what about the game?" Danny pointed out. "I was going to ask Andrew to fill in, but he doesn't seem to be around."

"No, he's at the Baker Street house helping Aurelius get resettled, but don't worry about it, Danny. I'll take care of it myself. You just go on home," Jennifer said.

"Wait… you don't mean you're going to referee?" Danny frowned. Jennifer sighed with exasperation.

"Danny, I'll have you know I did my fair share of refereeing in the past, and I can very well handle it. Besides, who else would I put on a broom? Sally? Pomona? No no no, I have one better. Sagittari," Jennifer suggested mischievously, and Danny paused as she tried to even imagine that last one. "Family first, Danny, I'll manage," Jennifer insisted. "You just go home and take care of your daughter."

"Just send an Owl if you need me, Jennifer, and I'll come back," Danny assured her.

"I'll keep that in mind, now out you go," Jennifer said firmly, pointing her out the door. Danny turned and left, feeling both guilty and relieved to be going home at the same time. Jennifer, however let out a long sigh before reluctantly going into her sitting room to pull out her broom and dust the cobwebs off of it.

A thick cover of grey clouds filled the sky as Connie, Gary and Lucky wandered towards the Quidditch Pitch; Connie and Gary in their Quidditch uniforms and Lucky casually dressed but wearing her Preds and tossing her ball up in the air as they walked.

"I still think you should stay at least for a few minutes, Lucky, at least to say hello to my father," Connie said.

"I'll see him afterwards. I'll be able to hear from the field when it ends," Lucky shrugged. "Just don't break anything, okay?"

"Don't worry about us, Lucky! We've got it handled. If anybody breaks anything today, it'll be Ravenclaw," Gary said, and got a sharp elbow jab from Connie. "Ow! What'd I say now?"

"You do have a brother on the other team," Connie said, covering up the real reason she had done it."

"Yeah, but he deserves to be knocked around the way he's been acting lately, avoiding the rest of us like he's too good for us and all. A knock on the head might do him some good," Gary said.

"For once, I'm with Gary," Lucky admitted. "But do it on the ground so I can help hold him down," she added, Gary grinning at her.

"We had better get going. We'll see you later, Lucky," Connie said. "Try to come over after the game, will you?"

"If not, I'll see you in the common room," Lucky said noncommittally, waving the others to go on as she walked around the other side to where the football pitch was.

It was quiet on that side, well away from where the students were wandering out to get ready to watch the game, but Lucky quickly realized she was not alone on the field. It was the caretaker, Mr. Carnegie, who was standing on the far side, inspecting a large white roll of what appeared to be treated silk over the carefully groomed area where the stands used to be.

"This is the pavilion for the stands?" Lucky asked dubiously when she walked over, for although the roll was perhaps long enough, she couldn't really see it being tall enough for something like that.

"Aye, Miss Snape! And I'm sure you'll find it's big enough for what you need, sure enough. Are you simply on your way to the game, or did you come o'er to lend a hand?" he asked.

"What do you want me to do?" Lucky asked.

"Do you know the mallet charm, perhaps?" he asked, and Lucky nodded. "That's grand, why don't you take that side o'er there and I'll roll it out and you pop these stakes in as we go?"

"Ya, okay," Lucky said, walking over to the other side of the pavilion and getting out her wand.

The Firebird feather Willow wand was a bit lighter than her old one, and she was still trying to get used to it, but she was quite confident she could manage the charm easily, even at a steady pace. As Carnegie cast his own spell and the pavilion began to roll out, Lucky pulled out the loops and ties and began casting the mallet charm on each of the stakes he had handed her. They flew out of her hand and jammed themselves in the ground in each of the loops she gestured towards. A ghostly mallet manifested in air and quickly banged them into the hard soil as easy as if it were sand. In no time, they had it all rolled out and staked. Carnegie carefully inspected each stake before walking over to the entrance.

"_Inflate!_" Carnegie cast, and the pavilion filled up like a balloon. It inflated at such an incredible rate that Lucky had to fix a stake or two that seemed to be wriggling loose because of the pressure. "Give me but a moment, Miss Snape!" Carnegie said, stepping inside with a few rods under his arm.

It was not long after he went in that the spell began to wear off and the pavillion slowly deflated. Curiously, Lucky peered in the entrance, staring agape at all the space inside

"Wow! Hey, you could hold a three-ring circus in here!" Lucky said, craning her neck up to admire the ceilings while Carnegie was busy elongating the rods to support the four corners of the pavilion. "It's like a small version of Aviation Park or something!"

"Well, there will be no Quidditch matches held in here, Miss Snape. I don't think Professor Sprout would take kindly to Bludger holes in the roof. Its purpose is only to give you a place t'work so that that the stands will be done by spring. There, now that it's done, I'd say we can finally have the supplies brought in."

"Plenty of room for it now," Lucky said, her mind thinking over her Arithmantics lesson on calculating spatial displacement as she wandered through the pavilion, unable to stop thinking of the myriad of uses it could have from football games to school parties. Just then there was a loud roar of sound, and Lucky looked up to see that Carnegie himself had also paused and was listening to it.

"Ah, sounds like the game is about to start," Carnegie said.

Lucky went back outside, wandering over to the net with her ball to give her an excuse to get back into the announcer's hearing range. It was then that she noticed Professor Heron coming out from behind the pavilion itself, taking long strides over the field to get to the Quidditch Pitch. Lucky squinted, wondering where he could possibly be coming from in that direction, but soon found that scrutiny turned on her when he saw her out there by herself. Immediately she turned her attention back to what she was doing, kicking the ball hard into the net and pretending she hadn't noticed him. But Heron cut over the field and before she called her ball back for the third time was passing right behind her.

"Not going to the game, Miss Snape, eh?" he inquired.

"I don't like Quidditch," Lucky said.

"Are you sure that is the only reason you're out here?" Heron asked.

"What else?" Lucky asked with a shrug, shooting the ball again. Heron watched her thoughtfully for a moment, glancing at the pavilion again then back at the girl speculatively.

"You are barking up the wrong tree, Miss Snape. There are much better ways to use your time, such as studying for your Defense test. At the rate you're going, you are going to need it," he said before hurrying on towards the Quidditch Pitch, leaving Lucky to stare after him.

Was that a warning, or a threat, she wondered? It was certainly strange, and it definitely didn't have the normal tone of a Professor suggesting to a student to do something more productive. Maybe she was onto something after all, and he was starting to get nervous. Wondering what Dale and Ambrose would think, Lucky focused back into the game, more than a little frustrated by the fact that whenever anything extremely exciting happened, the crowd sometimes drowned out the announcements.

The score was 20-0 Ravenclaw at that point; Laura, their best Chaser, and Dale, their Keeper, both seemed to be having productive days. But Bobby seemed to be spending most of his time slamming the Bludgers towards his brother. Gary was now one of the Gryffindor Beaters, and he and Josh Liffey were doing their jobs by attempting to slow Laura down.

"Would you quit fooling around?" Dale shouted when Bobby flew in front of him to bat one of the Bludgers away from him.

"What? It's not like we aren't winning," Bobby grinned.

"That can change in an instant and you know it," Dale said

"Pfft, not likely," Bobby said, nodding to where the pair of seventh year Seekers were hovering, chatting with each other rather than actually looking for the Snitch. Beau had wanted to go out with Star from time to time, and at the moment he seemed to be more interested in making progress with her than progressing the game.

Hovering at near the center of the Pitch, Jennifer couldn't help but roll her eyes when she saw it, wondering what sort of excuse she could possibly make to break it up so the game didn't take all day. But she needn't have worried; for Bobby and Guthrie had apparently had enough of the situation, and the two Ravenclaw Beaters gave each other a quick signal before slapping the Bludgers over heads of the Chasers. But when Star blinked and ducked out of the way, Beau reacted way too late, and one of the Bludgers hit him on his right arm. Everyone in the Ravenclaw stands and the two Beaters cringed when they realized the two had inadvertently hit their own Seeker.

"Yeah, that got his attention. Great idea, Bobby," Guthrie said. Bobby looked sheepish when Beau dropped down long enough for Ginny to look at it.

Fortunately for the Beaters, he was back up again within minutes, another cheer ringing out as he did so. Despite the mishap, it was obvious that Star and Beau were paying more attention to the Pitch now. Bobby turned his attention back in time to see Dale make another stop in front of a very frustrated Connie, who was not having a very good first game at all. As the Quaffle turned around the other way, Bobby noticed Connie swing by Gary to say something. He nodded, and Bobby watched her zoom back to catch up with the Pitch.

"Look sharp, Guth, I think they're going to be trying to take out our Keeper next," Bobby said.

The other Beater nodded and moved to take the other side of the Pitch pausing only a moment as the sound of a whistle let them know that they scored again. But Bobby didn't have long to think about it, for a second later both Bludgers were smacked by the other duo and were heading in front of the pack of Chasers, forcing them to intervene before they got to Dale.

As Jennifer coasted her broom out further towards the center to get a better view of what was going on near the rings, a pair of warnings made her turn around to see a third Bludger coming straight at her.

Immediately, Jennifer Disapperated, her broom falling to the ground as the Bludger went through where her head had been a second before, reappearing on the ground in the center of the Pitch.

"Apparently, someone let out a third Bludger on the Pitch," announced Cliff, while the crowd, who realized it a second after him, broke out into a solid round of 'boo's.

"Where the hell did that come from?" Bobby said near the rings when he saw the Chasers taking evasive maneuvers to keep from getting hit by the third Bludger.

"I don't know, but you better try to down that thing before it wrecks the game," Dale shouted.

"Calm down, I'm on it," Bobby said. He only had to hover slightly to the side, for the Bludger was coming towards them. But as Bobby swung the bat, the Bludger cracked open in the middle in a jagged pattern, and a row of what looked liked to be iron teeth chomped down on the Bludger bat, biting the top half off and sending Bobby into a spin. Quickly Dale dove to meet him, managing to get an arm around Bobby before he went spiraling to the ground. "Did you see that? It's almost as if it's alive!" Bobby gaped.

"It's just a curse of some sort. You okay?" Dale asked.

"Yeah, but my bat isn't," Bobby said, holding up the splintered handle. Just then, a series of whistles sounded to pause the game. As the team looked over towards Professor Craw still standing in the middle of the field, the third Bludger suddenly darted in the opposite direction and straight towards where she was standing, taking out Guthrie's bat as well as he tried to get in its way.

Jennifer blinked in surprise as she saw it coming in her direction again, Disapparating once more only to appear a foot out of its path. Curiously, she glanced at the whistle in her hand and blew it again, and the Bludger immediately changed paths and turned right around, its jagged jaw-like opening gnashing menacingly.

"So that's it, is it?" Jennifer said to herself, calling her broom over as she dodged it and hopped on, blowing the whistle again to get its attention.

But although Jennifer was a much better flyer than she used to be, trying to stay on a broom and trying to outrun a cursed Bludger were two different things. Even after pushing her speed well past her comfort level, she soon felt a tug behind her and turned to witness the Bludger chomping down on the bristles of her broom.

"Professor, throw me the whistle!" Connie shouted.

Left with no other choice, Jennifer pulled it off her neck and did so. Quickly, Connie blew the whistle, and the Bludger broke off its attack as Connie zoomed away, tossing the whistle to Laura even as it began to bear down on her. Laura then blew the whistle and it switched again, giving Jennifer more than enough time to force her damaged broom over to the Quidditch chest and open it. It was Star who then grabbed the whistle, blowing continuously as she shot at breakneck speed over to where Jennifer was standing. At the very last moment she veered upwards, the Bludger slamming against the lid of the chest. The chest had been charmed against all sorts of calamities, most especially rogue Bludgers, so with a flick of the wand, Jennifer was able to close it in. Several of the larger boys on the Pitch including Bobby and Dale jumped on top of the lid to make sure it didn't escape.

"Well! That was exciting, wasn't it?" Jennifer said dryly, locking the chest up and adding a chain around it for good measure. "Why don't you all take your positions for a restart? I can deal with this after the game. Professor Heron, could you make sure no one touches this box for me?"

"Of course, Professor," Heron said from where he stood at the bottom of the stands near Ginny a few feet away. Lucky squinted at him from where she stood in between the stands, but when it was obvious that the game was going to resume again, she made her way back towards the football nets.

"Thanks for the help back there," Bobby said to Dale. He immediately waved it off as they picked up the brooms. "Look, I'm sorry about the Lucky thing, okay? The truth is I was trying to get back at you for all the trouble I was having with Lindsay. I got tired of competing with you."

"I was never trying to compete with you, Bobby," Dale protested, mounting his broom.

"Yeah, that's what made it so irritating," Bobby admitted. "Friends?"

There was a short blow on the whistle and the two looked around to see Jennifer impatiently waiting for them to take their places, glancing over her shoulder when the chest rocked slightly.

"Friends," Dale agreed, and Bobby grinned as Dale flew to the ring and he ran to get a spare bat from the sidelines before flying over to take his rightful place on the team.


	25. Clues from the Past

_A/N Second Chapter this weekend. Have a good Easter/Passover/Spring holiday!_

Twenty-Five

Clues from the Past

It had been several years since Severus had last gone down to visit the mine; and that had involved a brief consult involving some runes that had been rediscovered. At first glance the site hadn't changed at all, for there was a mock archeological dig site scattered around the outskirts of a large base camp that was comprised of both tents and sandstone cabins. The locals quite assuredly saw the dig sites, but the camp itself they never saw, hidden by both its location and a bit of magic that also helped disguise just how many wizards came and went from the area. A modest but effective crew of two dozen wizard miners did most of the excavating, while a half a dozen specialists in different fields were always on hand in case they ran into another interesting charm, curse, scroll or item was uncovered. It was a very necessary precaution, for the mine had once housed the greatest collection of ancient scrolls that had ever been discovered.

"Just this way, Severus," Rinan said when he noticed that Severus seemed lost in thought.

Rinan pulled himself along a bit with his cane, using it to steady his gait over the loose rocks scattered by the winds around the camp. He strode up to one of the sandstone buildings and knocked briefly before opening it, and the two men entered a small room furnished like a simple office with a long table that served as a desk, several chairs. The light in the building seemed to be coming off of the ceiling, which had been enchanted to glow softly on its own.

Behind the desk sat a wizard of small stature but of powerful build; even if the man had not had a short, scruffy beard, Severus would have been able to guess that there was a touch of Dwarven blood in the wizard's veins. The wizard glanced up at them with stone grey eyes, studying Severus carefully before turning his gaze towards Rinan.

"This is Mr. Beryl Silverman, who is the foreman of the mining operations down here. He is in charge of the camp when Stock and Thomas are away," Rinan explained.

"Which is most of the time," Silverman said evenly.

"This is Professor Severus Snape. Thomas has given him permission to get a look at the room those men were found in," Rinan explained.

"Ah, yes. You're the wizard that fixed that Ciardoth mess, right?" Silverman said, sizing him up.

"Not without help, I assure you, although right now I'm more interested in fixing _this_ mess," Severus said.

"You won't hear any arguments from me," Silverman said, getting up and walking them back outside. "Miners are a cautious lot, and sometimes that caution means they prefer to believe any superstitious rhetoric rather than run the risk of discounting one that may catch up with them someday. This silly paw business has had the camp on edge ever since Sam died, and considering what's happened to Scarlet and your wife, they're beginning to wonder if the entire camp is cursed."

"Has anything happened here?" Severus asked.

"Nothing I'd blame on a curse, no, not since Sam died," Silverman said as they walked to the mine entrance. "But that doesn't keep the crew from blaming every accident and equipment failure on this supposed curse. Statistically speaking, we're not really having any more problems than the operation has in any given month. It's the morale that's faltering… which means they've gotten more careless…"

"Which breeds more accidents," Severus concluded. Silverman nodded in response.

"The chamber is a bit far in and a bit low, so mind your heads as we get close. Come along, Scout," Silverman called as they walked down the shaft. It was then that Severus noticed a bright yellow canary perched on one of the supports, twittering merrily. He swooped down the cavern around the heads of a pair of miners who ignored him completely, obviously quite used to the familiar's antics. "You're not uncomfortable with tight spaces, I hope?"

"Not at all," Severus said easily. "I've gotten used to it out of necessity, actually. In fact, I had spent quite some time out here just after my father-in-law acquired the mine. I don't think I've ever gone down this particular shaft, however. I take it this is all new?"

"We've been following this particular gold vein for a few months now, although we haven't been able to mine all of it due to stability reasons. Even rocks as dense as this has its limits," Silverman grunted. "The tunnel we found seems to have been a branch off the original mine. It crossed into the vein we were working on then dead-ended; probably for the same reasons ours did."

"So we're going to the lower end, the Poor Man's section of the mine," Severus ventured.

"Well, yes, although this particular spur didn't seem to connect with that part of the mine. It does run parallel to it in spots," Silverman explained.

"Oh? How close?" Severus asked thoughtfully.

"Fifty feet or so," Silverman mused.

"Much too thick for incorporeal potions or holes then," Severus mused. "What of the cave-ins blocking the entrances?"

"Ten feet on this side, before it reached the dead-end. The other side is blocked by at least thirty to thirty-five feet of rock, although we haven't cleared that end for fear of more instability in that section," Silverman explained. "It's possible some of that could have been more recent, but even had they attempted to get out by trying to go incorporeal through that cave in, you may recall that this entire mine was buried under tons of dense volcano rock on all sides. It wouldn't have done anyone any good to get back into another part of the spur, because they still would have had a problem getting out. Think one of them might have tried it anyhow?"

"In a desperate situation, one might try anything," Severus mused. "However, if so, there is a very high possibility that they didn't make it out alive."

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to check," Silverman agreed. "We have some Cowl Lanterns in the office. When someone holds the lantern up to stone walls, the light makes them partially transparent… we use it to check for gold veins as well as weaknesses in the rock. They're sensitive enough to see such a disturbance in the rock if there was a corpse or something."

"That sounds like a good idea, at least to eliminate the possibility," Severus said, gazing thoughtfully at the tunnel they had stepped into. It was much cruder than the one they had just been in, and only the supports looked new. Some seemed to be in rather curious angles in effort to support the less stable portions of the passage.

"Here is the chamber," Silverman said, stopping just outside the room and hanging a lantern just inside the door. "As you can see, the remains are still here. Thomas asked us not to disturb them in any way until the investigation has been concluded, although the one that had the satchel was displaced when Sam lifted it to removed it, and Aurelius and Tonks removed the wand for testing."

"And where was it found?" Severus asked. Silverman murmured the footprint spell before walking across the floor to the sitting skeleton to point him out.

"Just over here, on the ground under the arm of this man," Silverman said. "I'm going to go back up to get those lanterns, and perhaps some normal ones for regular lighting in here. Scout will stay while I'm gone in case you need anything." Scout twittered in reply, settling down on one of the supports in the tunnel just outside the room as Silverman excused himself.

At first, it seemed to Rinan like Severus was in no hurry to look at anything. He stood just inside the doorway, studying the room and the skeletons within it without comment or reaction. Rinan gazed at him with a serious but somewhat baffled expression, wondering exactly what Severus was thinking and wondering why he was spending so much time just standing there. But after a few minutes, Rinan was distracted by lamps being passed in his direction. He immediately helped set the regular lanterns around the room, while a pair of wizard miners who raised the Cowl Lanterns next to the walls. Within its direct light, the walls no longer seemed to be stone at all, but made out of something partially transparent like gelatin or murky water.

Severus watched with interest for a while, alert for any signs at all that the wizards might have found something. But once they got around the chamber and began inspecting the tunnel itself, Severus no longer seemed to care. He murmured a footprint spell and stepped in, focusing his attention on the floor around the mangled corpses, kneeling down to inspect the scattered splinters from their wands.

"Where are their non-magical personal effects kept?" Severus asked.

"Harry has them, but there's a list in the office. Scout, why don't you go see that Silverman brings that down as well?" Rinan suggested, and the canary flew out of the room. "Are you looking for something specific?"

"Anything they might have sent out a message with or used to try and call for help," Severus said, frowning as he picked up several pieces of wood to look over. "Are there any larger pieces of these wands?"

"Not that anyone's found," Rinan admitted. "I'm not sure if Harry's even found what components those had in them, but the woods at least are clear."

"Yes, this one is some type of cedar," Severus said, then moved slightly to inspect another. "Oak, I think… the other a dark wood of some sort, walnut perhaps…" he felt something odd beneath his hand and picked it up thoughtfully.

It was a small half circle of lead… perhaps a band off of one of the wands, he mused. He murmured a spell, unsurprised when the ring began to sparkle lightly, indicating it had faint traces of magic residue. But as he felt it, he realized it was rounded on one side rather than flat. Thoughtfully he put it against one of his own fingers and knew it was indeed a ring. He glanced down at his own wedding ring, the white gold long replaced with silver. He pocketed the ring, studying the skeleton he had found it next to.

"This is the skeleton the satchel was found on, isn't it?" Severus asked.

"Yes, you can tell because the dust is disturbed there," Rinan agreed. Severus noted that thoughtfully, glancing around the room. "Everyone has been careful since not to disturb anything unnecessarily."

"Yes, I see that now," Severus said, walking straight over to the skeleton in the corner and kneeling down, fixing his eyes upon the spot where a silhouette of a wand was quite evident in the dust. But that wasn't really what he was looking for; instead, he studied the man's arms thoughtfully and then looked over at a small pile of debris at his side.

"Back, Professor," Silverman said from the doorway. "I have your list."

"Any sort of contact equipment in there?" Rinan asked. "Mirrors or the like?"

"Nothing of that sort. If anything, they seem very unprepared," Silverman mused.

"So they were," Severus agreed, casting a spell to uncover the dust from a spot of ground that was heavily scorched. He gently moved aside a strange, curled black object… the remains of a leather cover off a journal. "But it would seem someone found a means to contact someone after all."

* * *

The rogue Bludger struggled against the heavy iron chains wrapped around it, rattling against them as it tried to get above three feet above the ground that Jennifer had set it at. She stood next to Rhett, the two of them still with their wands out after casting identification spells.

"Common protection hex," Rhett said at last. "Quite popular a couple of decades ago against pickpockets. The moment you put your hand in a pocket… you lose your hand," he chuckled. "Moreover, a first year student could even cast that spell if they were inclined to dark magic."

"Yes, but it's not a spell we teach here, so it's hardly common knowledge," Jennifer pointed out. "We only teach dark spells at this school when there are no safer alternatives, Rhett."

"Oh? What about last year when your son taught fourth years the Life Deprivation Curse?" Rhett challenged. Jennifer gave him a dirty look but didn't say anything. "I'd think charm spell linking the curse to the sound of a whistle is much less common."

"Hermione teaches that charm in her fourth year classes as a professional courtesy to me, since my items class covers harmonics. In fact, I don't think I've ever known Hermione to teach any spell labeled as dark to her classes… well, except for that year we didn't choose our own books…" she said, then paused.

"Which year was that?" Rhett prompted.

"Oh, it's a long story, but the year after Ambrose got in, the board decided maybe our standards were too easy and picked our books for us. Dodger, could you go see if you can grab a copy of the old first year charms book? It's the one with taped binding that Hermione wrote 'Never again' on."

"Are you sure there isn't a simpler answer, such as it being someone in your items class? They have access to dark items spells, do they not?" Rhett asked.

"The ones who have taken it more than one year have, yes, but I seriously doubt any of my items majors would ever do such a thing," Jennifer protested. "Not to mention I only have three of them, and I know each of their work well enough to know that none of them would do something like this, let alone would they choose these particular methods."

Just then Dodger came back, and Rhett couldn't help but stare when the owl dropped off a book that looked to be several times its own body weight.

"That was a first year book?" Rhett said. "That must have been some year."

"We only had to deal with them until the Yule holiday, and trust me, that was bad enough," Jennifer said dryly, scanning the index. Finally she sighed. "As I suspected, it is in here. So anyone who's been a fourth year or higher could have potentially cursed it."

"Good evening," Severus said, peering in from the doorway, his eyes fixed on the chained Bludger.

"Oh! Severus, you're back! How was your trip?" Jennifer asked with a warm smile.

"Productive to some extent," Severus said thoughtfully. "But never mind that, I'll tell you about it later. Dare I ask what this is?"

"Someone tried to kill your wife again," Rhett snorted. Severus blinked.

"There's no reason to exaggerate, Rhett." Jennifer scolded. "We just had a bit of a Bludger incident."

"Charmed specifically so that it would come after you," Rhett reminded her. "No one else would have been blowing a whistle during a Quidditch game."

"One moment. You decided to referee the Quidditch game, Jennifer?" Severus asked flatly.

"Why must everyone act so surprised when they hear about it?" Jennifer asked with exasperation. "I may not be the best flyer in the world, but I can do it if I need to, as you know perfectly well. Gloria was sick so I sent Danny home. No one was hurt, Severus. Two students had their bats chomped and my broom didn't survive, but it'd take a lot more than a rogue Bludger to put me down. Besides, this was anything but a planned accident. In fact, Rhett and I have come to the conclusion that it was more likely to have been a student."

"It does sound like something a student would do," Severus mused.

"Yes, but one trying to harm a Professor, and this may have not been the first time. The student could be behind one of the other incidents as well," Rhett pointed out.

"No, this seemed more to me like an isolated incident, Rhett. Whoever did this was quite bold about it, although I really don't know who might have been angry with me. I haven't put anyone in detention lately," Jennifer said, readying her wand. "I'm sure I can figure it out during Potion's class."

"Even if it is an isolated incident as you believe, Jennifer, I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss it," Rhett argued, readying his wand as she began to dispel the curse on the Bludger. "You can bet that the papers won't."

Severus himself wasn't surprised any more than Rhett had been when the next day _Oracle's_ headline read, _Deadly Curse Strikes Hogwarts Again, Endangering Students_. And although he couldn't help but scowl when he read the section stating that board governor Coventry was 'going to look into the matter,' Severus had no intention whatsoever rising to the bait of what was obviously a public smear campaign. Severus frowned at that, wondering if that meant what he thought it meant. Deciding to put the matter aside for now, Severus glanced at his watch and walked down to the Potion Lab.

Jennifer was standing over her desk, stirring a small cauldron.

"Isn't it a bit cold for every window to be open?" Severus said with a sigh as he walked in, waving several of them closed.

"I was using the brisk air to help myself wake up. It smells like it's going to snow, doesn't it?" Jennifer asked as she used a syringe to capture some of the cauldron's contents and putting it into a test phial. She then dropped in some metal shavings, nodding to herself at the results.

"Have you found out anything yet?" Severus asked impatiently when she didn't comment right away.

"Well, I'd say your guesses about the ring you found were right, Severus," Jennifer said, holding up the half-circle thoughtfully. "This ring was definitely gold at one point and transfigured into lead, although I can't say for sure yet if it was Gringott's curse or something else. There are a couple of other curses that can be cast that can turn items into lead, and one potion. I'm testing for the potion now, but I think I'm going to be able to safely eliminate that one with a couple more tests. Do you suppose it was someone's wedding band?"

"I believe it is, although really it's only conjecture at this point. We know from the article that Harry and Alexandria found that Perrell had been married, and Stonewall was not according to the Archives. Of course, I don't know if the unidentified men in the room were or not, so that might eschew might theory, and yet… if that paw still had a wish left, they wouldn't entrust it to someone else, would they?" Severus said.

"I'm not sure I follow you, Severus," Jennifer said.

"I believe that the man who was carrying the satchel was probably Perrell himself. But if that is so, why was it that the man in the corner had Perrell's wand instead of his own?" Severus asked. "It looked as if all the other wands were destroyed in the same curse that killed those three men."

"What sort of curse was it, Severus?" Jennifer asked.

"One of anguish and rage… perhaps a vengeance curse of some kind. Other than the shattered wands and their positions that obviously show they were in pain, there are no other telltale signs. I suppose the only one who may have a clue is whomever the last person the last man contacted," Severus said. "And I believe that last person must have been Stonewall, for he was the only other person in the room whose personal effects seemed even remotely prepared to handle their environment. The other two men had nothing more than a pocket watch, a pair of quills, and a handful of Galleons between them. Not to mention that the corpse in the corner had a journal. Unfortunately he burned it, both to send a message and to hide what was in it, if I'm not mistaken. Something like that would have smoked terribly, and I have little doubt at all the smoke from that fire probably contributed to his death. He may have fallen unconscious in the process of sending the message and never had the opportunity to refresh the air… or he simply decided it was pointless to live any longer, considering he had no way out."

Suddenly all the windows he had closed snapped violently back open again as Jennifer folded her arms tightly against herself.

"Sorry," Severus murmured, helping her put away her equipment.

"I don't suppose we can have breakfast on the Perch?" Jennifer said, apparently oblivious to both the cold air and the blustery wind that came with it.

"Very well, but at least grab your cloak," Severus said, regretting even more that he had said anything as the two of them went into her office.


	26. Adventures in Time

_A/N Bonus Chapter! A bit long and one of my favorite chapters in the book, so I hope you enjoy it as well. Thanks for the reviews! JCWriter._

Chapter Twenty-Six

Adventures in Time

It had been difficult at first to get back into both planning for his classes and administrative work when Severus had so much on his mind, but a full appointment book and an insistent painting secretary went a long way in helping him shelve those ideas for the time being. Before he knew it, it was Thursday, and he was contemplating his first appointment at nine o'clock over a simple breakfast of toast and coffee.

Just then, the door burst open unexpectedly and he blinked in surprise as Dale and Lucky ran into the room.

"Ever heard of knocking?" Severus said flatly.

"Sorry, but there's something important we gotta tell you..." Lucky began, but Dale suddenly grabbed her arm.

"Wait! Don't say anything!" Dale said.

_"Qué?"_ Lucky said in surprise. "What do you mean don't say anything? Why the hell did we come up here for then?"

"Lucky, look at the clock on the wall. It's not lunchtime," Dale said.

Lucky frowned and stared at the clock, which read eight-thirty.

"So why don't we just tell him now and save everybody the trouble?" Lucky said.

"Well, for one thing, because he hasn't actually given me the Time Turner yet. I didn't get it until nine," Dale pointed out. The two of them slowly turned towards the Headmaster, who had begun to drum his fingers on his desk in obvious irritation.

"Didn't either of you think to grab a watch?" he asked curtly.

"Well, if we had grabbed it before this all started, wouldn't it have shown our time before we left and not now?" Dale asked.

"There are watches charmed to fix themselves if they are running fast or slow so that they stay accurate. Any charmed to do so will reorient itself," Severus said, pulling open a drawer and rummaging through it until he brought out a plain silver watch. After inspecting it to make certain it was still in working order, he handed it out to Dale. "Make sure you return this when you return the Time Turner."

"Hey, why don't you just give it to Dale when he comes in to get the Time Turner? Then this won't happen, right?" Lucky suggested.

"I am in no mood today to deal with any more time paradoxes than you have already caused by being in here. Now, take the watch, and leave by my sitting room. That will prevent you from running the risk of bumping into yourselves," Severus said, getting up to open the sitting room door for them.

"Good idea," Dale agreed. "Thanks, Professor, you won't regret it."

"I'm already regretting it, and I haven't even given you the blasted thing yet," Severus scowled at him, waiting for them to exit out his sitting room door and into the hall before he returned to his desk.

He waved the doors shut and then opened a second drawer and pulled out the Marauder's Map, studying it a moment. Then he rolled his eyes and shook his head as the two of them barely missed bumping into the other Dale, who had stepped onto the staircase leading to the sixth floor just as the two of them met the staircases at the fifth floor heading down.

He then looked for the other Lucky, who apparently was having breakfast in the Great Hall for a change. Then he squinted, noticing a third Dale sitting at the Ravenclaw table.

"Oh well, at least I'm about to get rid of one of them," Severus said with annoyance, folding the map carefully so the hallways near the main classes were visible on top. It was then there was a knock, and he put it back in the drawer and shut it before opening the door. Dale peered in, looking rather uneasy.

"Well, don't just stand there. Come in and shut the door," Snape said curtly. Dale quickly did as he was told because it was evident that the Headmaster was in an irritable mood for some reason. "I hope you realize this isn't the sort of thing I usually allow, Mr. Chance. In fact, I can't say that I have ever let a student borrow my Time Turner, nor am I likely to again if things get out of hand."

"No, sir, and it won't," Dale said with such sincerity that Severus couldn't help but stare at him. "I'll simply use it to get to my classes on time once I get back from the Thanksgiving parade and the store appearance in New York. Do you want me to turn it back in right after I use it? I could turn it in before breakfast if you like."

"No, I'd rather you kept it at least until after lunch, and don't turn it in until you're entirely done with it," Snape said.

"Why? What's after lunch?" Dale asked in confusion.

"How the devil would I know?" Snape snapped, taking the Time Turner out of his pocket. "I'm not going to go over the rules of using this thing again; I'm sure you've already been drilled on that enough, but I have a few I'd like to add to them. First, don't you dare mention this to other students, except for the ones who already know about this venture, and I suspect there are at least two of them." Dale grimaced and nodded. "Second, don't you dare do anything in New York that would flood the media's attention enough for everyone here to know that you had gone. And third and most important, if for God only knows what reason you decide to use this thing for anything other than to make sure you attend classes today, don't you dare do anything that isn't worth facing possible expulsion for."

"I will just use it the once so that the trip doesn't disrupt my classes today, Professor," Dale said solemnly, wondering why it was that the Headmaster didn't believe him. In fact, Dale wondered if he wasn't going to change his mind all together, but finally the Professor forced it into his hand.

"Fine... go... just get out of my castle. Put it on and don't take it off until it's returned, and make sure you keep it out of sight. Professor Craw is probably already at the gate with one of your parents now," Severus said.

"Yes, Professor. And thank you," Dale said, putting it on and tucking it in his shirt before the doors swung open again and he hurried out.

Severus sighed, wondering what he had just gotten himself into as he futilely attempted to get back to work, while another Dale waited outside of the Great Hall until Connie and Lucky came out.

"Going or back?" Lucky asked evenly.

"Back, and I'm not empty handed, either. Meet me for lunch?" Dale asked her.

"Yeah, okay, but it had better be good," Lucky said dangerously. Dale simply grinned and ran off towards his first class.

"You two sure have been spending a lot of time together," Connie said as the two of them turned down the corridor for Transfiguration. "A lot more than you've been spending with Ambrose and myself, and we have the same classes."

"Yeah, but you've been hangin' out with Gary, and Ambrose has been hangin' out with Natalie and her friends. I'm not the only one who's been doin' it," Lucky said defensively.

"That is true, Lucky," Connie agreed. "But the difference is that the rest of us aren't really worried about what other people think, and you are. I mean, I really don't mind at all you wanting to spend time with Dale. In fact, in some ways it's been a relief to your friends considering the fight you used to put up and all the Owl meetings you disrupted putting him in his place, not that it ever really seemed to bother him. I'm just bringing it up because I'm not sure you realize how obvious the two of you are getting. Most of the order have been coming to me privately and asking if the two of you are serious."

"Well, tell them to put a sock in it!" Lucky snapped.

"I have been, Lucky," Connie reassured her, but then sighed. "But I don't think any of them believed me when I told them you were just friends."

"If they were friends, they'd stay out of it," Lucky grumbled.

"Yes, I quite agree with you," Connie said, quieting down when the two of them entered the classroom.

But although her morning classes seemed interminable, lunch finally came around. Lucky soon managed to slip away from the others heading to the Owl Room, spotting Dale's owl Jagger perched on a statue in the hallway, apparently waiting for her. He took off in the other direction, and Lucky followed him outside, pausing a moment so that her eyes could adjust to the light before searching for the owl again. But after seeing the direction he was flying, Lucky realized where he was going and hurried over to the pavilion, slipping inside the door. Slats of wood had been laid out by size, so she had to pick her way around them to get to the other side where Dale had set up a picnic at the far side of the tent.

When she got close, a waft of warm air hit her skin, and gratefully Lucky shucked her coat and sat down, gazing thoughtfully at the curious wooden basket sitting in the center of the blanket. Runes had been deeply burned into a band around the basket itself, while a heavy wooden cover on top had a complex spiral symbol in the center that Lucky recognized as a suspension spell.

"Good spot. You sure we're not going to get interrupted?" Lucky asked.

"Not likely, considering Lindsay and your aunt took the afternoon off to go visit relatives. Your uncle and Mr. Carnegie are the only ones who come in here on weekdays. Besides, I only brought enough food for the two of us, and I don't think you'd want to share with the rest of the order, not that they're likely to appreciate it," Dale said mischievously, opening the box. "Straight from the streets of New York, two Sabretts dogs, extra kraut for the lady," Dale said cheerfully, holding one out to have it immediately snatched from his hands. "I also have some tamales, onion and plain bagels, pastrami sandwiches, turkey sandwiches...just for tradition's sake... four pieces of the floppiest pizza I could find, and cheesecake for desert."

"That's what I call a Thanksgiving feast," Lucky said with open appreciation, and then paused, pulling something out that baffled her. "What's with the carrot?"

"Oh, that was my mother's way of protesting how many thousands of calories this is going to put me over my diet," Dale chuckled, grabbing one of the turkey sandwiches.

"You don't need to be on any diet," Lucky snorted.

"Well, unfortunately the media has a field day any time one of us doesn't maintain our weight. It doesn't matter if we gain it or lose it, there's always someone bound to bring it up if it changes," Dale said, shaking his head.

"I don't know how you can take it. I don't like photos anyway, I couldn't see myself plastered in everyone's magazine and newspaper every day, years on end," Lucky said.

"Well, it isn't every day, although I'm sure it'd make my father happy if it was," Dale said dryly. "Free publicity is free publicity in his mind. My mother is a bit more conservative, but then since she handles the wizard side of things where our market isn't quite so massive. I hear that presales for our newest album is pretty decent, though. It was actually pretty nice today, except for the two girls that tried to jump onto our float and had to be dragged off by security... and I got a hand cramp from autographs..."

"_Pobrecito!"_ Lucky said sarcastically. "I feel so sorry for you hurting your hand writing love notes to all your flirtatious girlfriends who insist you put down they're your one and only girl."

"You are my one and only girl," Dale protested, gazing at her lovingly.

"I don't want your autograph," Lucky said.

"Probably just as well, because what I normally write on all of them are, 'you're my biggest fan,'" Dale chuckled softly.

"Liar," Lucky scowled at him. "Besides, I think I'm your biggest fan, just not your band's."

"I can live with that," Dale said with a smile, pushing her hotdog away so he could kiss her.

"Is this a private party, then?" someone said from the doorway, and the two of them looked up in surprise to see Mr. Carnegie standing there with his hands on his hips.

"Just having lunch, Mr. Carnegie," Dale said smoothly, while Lucky turned bright red and became much more interested in her food. Carnegie went over and picked up the tool pouch he had been looking for before walking up to them.

"You call that lunch? Is any of that even truly edible?" Carnegie said with distaste.

"It's New York food!" Lucky protested.

"Is it? Then I'm glad I didn't stay long enough to try the local flavor then," Carnegie said.

"Oh, yeah? What business did you knock off?" Lucky asked with interest.

"What business did I knock off?" Carnegie repeated in feigned disbelief. "What cheek, Miss Snape, have you no respect at all? What would make you think I could have done such a thing?"

"Because you didn't even have time to eat," Lucky shrugged. Carnegie suddenly looked amused.

"Well... I admit I might have taken a short trip to Brumbleby's warehouses, but it's hardly a tale for students," Carnegie said.

"What's that?" Lucky asked.

"Well, have you heard of Christie's, then?" Carnegie asked.

"Sure, the auction house," Lucky shrugged.

"There's one in London as well," Dale said with a nod.

"Well, Brumbleby's in New York is the same sort of thing, except it caters to extremely wealthy wizards and has a great deal of rare and exotic magic items. I always kept a catalog on hand in case something interesting popped up that I thought might resell well. 'Twas a grand trip, come to think of it...I hit every major city on the northernmost Atlantic coast in three weeks time... and it only took me a week to get rid of it all," he added with a wink, shouldering his bag, "and even less time to rid myself of the money I made."

"I understand you not wanting to give us any details on that," Dale said. "But would you be willing to tell us what turned you around?" Carnegie debated it for a moment, then his eyes shifted towards the bag.

"I don't suppose there's anything in there I'd find palatable?" Carnegie mused.

"Try the cheesecake," Lucky suggested. Dale grinned and handed the caretaker a piece. He then transfigured one of the boards into a chair and sat down with it.

"It must've been seven or eight years ago, now... although in some ways it feels like yesterday," Carnegie mused, cautiously taking a bite of the cheesecake as he organized his thoughts. "My reputation as a cat burglar, once only known in Ireland, had spread out in a few months time when I decided to feed my theft addiction by taking it worldwide. 'Twasn't very hard to handle the step up; I had been an expert both at running away and at surviving since I was a child. I could get in and out of anywhere, with no danger of anyone ever catching up with me.

"At first, it was exhilarating, seeing the reports in the paper and no one ever knowing how it was done. Then my ego got the better'a me, and I allowed them to get a photo for the paper when I pulled a stunt in Paris stealing a lady's diamond necklace right off her nape and then climbing the Eiffel Tower to escape the local chasers and 'magically disappear' when I got to the top. But 'twasn't long before the rush of it wore off, and I kept trying to outdo myself... always something more daring and more dramatic... until I finally got to the point where nothing could satiate the addiction anymore. I had stolen everything that could be stolen. I even danced in and out of Gringotts' twice... I gave an encore when after the first time I did it, the Goblins assured the papers that they had gotten them to the point they were 'uncrackable.'

"I had done everything... except get caught. It was then after the rush wore off for the last time that I realized that for the last dozen jobs or so, I had wanted to get caught. I was tired of running and tired of the game, but I also knew I wouldn't be able to stop on my own. There was always going to be another shiny bauble that'd taunt me until I stole it; it was a hopeless situation in my mind. So I took the route of a hopeless man, for I knew the goblins were chomping at the bit to get their claws on me, and they would not suffer me to live if they caught me. I decided to storm into one of the most prestigious jewelry shops in Myrkinbrek in the middle of the day and hold the place up, declaring who I was to everyone in hearing range so that I would have the satisfaction of knowing they'd know my name before I died.

"But when I stepped into Tassels and Panning, my wand out and glowing as I declared my name and made my demands, a certain Professor was in the process of picking up his wife's Christmas gift," he paused and nodded at the grin on Dale's face and the smirk on Lucky's. "Yes, well, obviously 'twasn't fated to go well, but I had the mind of a man wanting to go out in a blaze of glory. A wand fight broke out to the lengths that the shop had to close down for a week after for repairs. But instead of the glory I had been aimin' for, I soon found myself hog-tied and on the ground, listening as the Professor got into a heated discussion with the goblins as to what was going to be done with me. He managed to talk them into releasing me to the Ministry by promising to compensate them for any losses, although why he stuck his neck out then I was never quite sure. His support of me later on was more obvious; my cousin Caroline, who had worked for the Snapes, pleaded for me on my behalf, playing a bit on my troubled childhood to try talk the Professor into helping me.

"'I can only help him if he wants to be helped,' says he, but it was obvious to me that even at that point he had some plot in mind. The next thing I recall is being woken out of a potion induced sleep and being led to the last place I would have expected to be taken... Gringotts Bank. He then had me taken down to one of the lowest of the vaults in the deepest part of the bank, and through several security doors until we reached the largest vault I had ever seen in me life, filled with more coins and baubles than I had ever seen in one place before. And then the goblin left us alone there and took the cart back up, and the Professor waited until he was gone before he turned back towards me.

"'Very well, Mr. Carnegie, you may go now,' he says to me. 'Go?' says I, not quite believing my ears. 'Yes, you may go. From here just go out and follow the walkway until you reach Mykrinbrek. If you can do so on your own power, you will be free to go, and none of the guards will try to stop you.'"

"As you can imagine, I really didn't think he was serious about such an offer, even after he turned around and walked out the door of the vault himself, leaving me standing in the middle of that horde. It might as well have been given to me in my mind; after all he never said I couldn't take any of it. Why else lead me down there, then? So, I scooped up a handful in my pocket with every intention of then walking out that door. But I never made it to the door," he admitted, shaking his head.

"By the time the Professor returned to check on me, I was so loaded down with treasure even after minimizing some of it I couldn't move, not one inch. I had filled every pocket to bulging, filled my arms and even wore the bracelets and necklaces until my wrists and neck hurt just from the weight of it. And there I sat, bawling my eyes out at being trapped as I was, for I swore to myself long ago I'd never be trapped by anything again.

"But the Professor simply ignored it and sat down as calmly as you please, completely unsurprised to find me in such a state, and proceeded to try and convince me that perhaps if I simply put down one of the items I had picked up, I might be able to move again. I don't know how long we argued about that first piece...two hours perhaps... and maybe even longer. The second piece took n'arly as long as the first... and then the third...mind you, I had hundreds of pieces on me from jewelry t' coin. If I were in such a position as he, I'd never have had the patience. But for each piece that was called to question, he would give me good reasons to put it down and rebutted all my arguments for keeping it until I'd finally put it down. Little by little it got easier. It went on all through that long day and night... reluctantly dropping the baubles in my arms. But as it went on, I found myself having an easier time of it, until I myself felt like I couldn't get rid of what I had taken fast enough to suit me. Every last knut got put back before I left, and every brass ring, until at last I finally left that horrid vault on my own power. And although I'll admit I've had opportunities now and again to put my talents to use for the good of the school, I have never had the desire to steal for the sake of stealing since that day."

"Wow, that's fantastic," Dale said in awe. "So that's why you're here at the school now? Because you feel you owe it to the Professor?"

"'Tis a more literal sort of 'owing,' Mr. Chance, rather than out of noblesse oblige," Carnegie said dryly. "You see, the Ministry realized they couldn't keep me in prison unless I was endlessly sedated, and the goblins thought I was better off dead. But the Professor came up with the compromise of paying off all the losses I had accrued in this country in exchange for a 'time served' plea bargain with a restricted parole while I work off my debt. Of course that means I'll probably end up at this job most of my life... not that it's all that bad of a life, and I have the benefit of visiting my family without constantly looking over my shoulder to see if anyone's after me, and that's a blessing to say the least."

"Yeah, I can see that," Lucky said. "What's his name again?" she added daringly.

"I think you've overextended your questions for one piece of cheesecake," Carnegie chided her as he finished it.

"You want another?" she pressed.

"Thank you, Miss Snape. But I'd best be getting back to work, if I ever remember why I needed my tools in the first place," Carnegie chuckled. "Ah yes, leaky tub in the laundry room. Have a good day. You'll be back in here this weekend to help build I expect."

"We sure will," Dale said in agreement. They watched him walk out of the pavilion before the two of them reluctantly began putting everything away. "Well, that story explained a lot, didn't it?"

"Yeah. I always knew something happened between him and the Professor, but I'd never heard the details before," Lucky said.

"I'm surprised he told us," Dale admitted.

"Eh, it's not the first time he's talked to me about stuff like that," Lucky shrugged. "I think maybe he just likes talking to someone who understands where he's comin' from. From what he's told me, his father was almost as much of an ass as mine was."

"I suppose that explains a lot as well," Dale said thoughtfully. "Still, he seems happy now, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, I think so," Lucky agreed, getting up. "And he talks about his old life like he's at peace with it. I kind of envy that."

"You're not as far from achieving that as you think, Marie," Dale smiled at her, putting an arm around her as they walked towards the entrance. "You talk to Madame Brittle and me about it, don't you?"

"Sure, but it's not easy," Lucky admitted with a sigh. Dale kissed her comfortingly on the cheek then reluctantly stepped away from her and let her take the lead as they stepped back into the open.

Lucky needn't have worried about appearances, for no one seemed interested in braving the cold wind and grey skies and instead were staying close to the Great Hall after they finished eating. Not seeing anyone in the halls, the two of them decided to stop into the library on their way to their Arithmantics class, making plans on the way about getting together that weekend to work on the stands. But as they stepped in, they were surprised to find a great number of Professors in the library, most of them lingering near the open door to the research room in the very back. Curiously the two of them came closer to see that Professor Snape was in the middle of the group. He glanced at them speculatively as they approached, meeting both of their gazes before suddenly discounting them as if they weren't there at all.

"Was there anyone in here earlier in the day?" Severus asked.

"Not since I got in this morning, Professor," Boulderdash said. "Not until Professor Andrew found it missing. Before that, I couldn't say."

"Perhaps one of the ghosts or paintings saw something, Severus. They do often wander through here at night," Jennifer suggested.

"A good point, perhaps you should check on that," Severus said.

"I'll help," Andrew offered, and after the Headmaster's nod, moved to join her. As Jennifer turned she saw Dale and Lucky standing there, so she studied them carefully over her glasses.

"Hello, Lucky. If there's anything you need, it'll have to wait. We're rather busy at the moment, and it'd probably be better if you went ahead and ran along to your next class," Jennifer said.

"We were just curious as to what was going on, Professor Craw," Dale said.

"Nothing that should concern either of you, I assure you..."

"A piece of research equipment is missing from the research library," Severus interrupted. Jennifer stared at him with open surprise, while Severus gazed fixedly at the two students standing there. "A very dangerous piece of equipment made up of three mirrors and a large crystal. Do you know the one I'm referring to?" Dale shook his head, but Lucky nodded.

"Yeah, the one Ambrose and I kept seeing the weird visions in during our first year here," Lucky said.

"Yes, well, it's the utmost importance that we make certain it doesn't get into the wrong hands, and so I'm afraid my time is completely taken up. The sooner it is found the better, and hopefully it'll be found somewhere it should be instead of somewhere it shouldn't be," Severus said, the two students looking a bit baffled. "At any rate, the two of you really ought to be going. I'm sure you have more important things to do, and I need to get back to my study."

"Yes, Professor," Dale said, while Lucky had the expression of someone wanting to ask a question but not quite sure what to ask. Finally she turned and caught up with Dale, while Jennifer was still standing there, staring openly at her husband.

"Are you certain you know what you're doing, Severus?" Jennifer asked in a soft voice.

"Positive. It's not as if it hasn't already happened, after all," Severus murmured.

"Oh? Happened when?" Jennifer challenged him knowingly.

"In about an hour from now, I believe," Severus said, glancing at his watch. He then nodded to her and she shook her head at him.

"That was really odd, wasn't it?" Dale murmured as they walked towards Tangent's classroom. "It's almost as if he were expecting us to do something."

"What can we do? We got classes," Lucky said with a shrug. Dale frowned unsurely, following behind.

But Dale couldn't stave off the nagging feeling there was something else he should be doing, despite the fact he knew that they had an important test in front of them; one of the last before they began the reviews before the holiday. He had trouble concentrating on what had increasingly become a more difficult subject for him; it was a rather futile attempt to keep up with Lucky and preserve the one class they had together, despite the fact it was becoming more obvious that it wasn't one of his strongest subjects. He did his best to stay focused since there was little doubt that Lucky would be the first one out of the classroom and he didn't want her to have to wait out in the hall for long.

"So how did you do?" Lucky asked when he finally made it out.

"I don't know. Not great, though," Dale admitted, then noticed her shaking her head as they walked. "Oh, don't give me that, Marie, I'm a bit tired, you know. I have had seven and a half more hours today than you have, and I was hardly inactive during that time."

"Yeah, what a waste," Lucky said. Dale blinked at her in response.

"What's a waste?" Dale asked.

"If I could go back in time like that, I'd use it for something more productive... like finding out who might've taken the Professor's crystal, or maybe even stopping it from disappearing in the first place," Lucky said. Dale stopped short and stared at her.

"That's it!" Dale said.

"What's what?" Lucky asked.

"That's what the Professor meant, of course! You're right, Lucky, that is what I should be doing!" Dale said, picking up the pace.

"You mean you still have that thing?" Lucky said, hurrying to keep up.

"Yes, he told me to hold onto it for some reason... he must have known something was going to happen when he gave it to me. I wonder how?" Dale said, puzzled, but then shrugged it off. "Anyway, I'll catch up with you after classes, I suppose. I'm going to go ahead and try it."

"What? Hey, it was my idea..."

"Sorry, Marie, but if I let this thing fall out of my hands, even to his own daughter, I'm sure to have detention if not expelled altogether. It's bad enough he warned me against using it for anything other than the trip anyway..."

"I don't care. I'm going too," Lucky said firmly.

"It's on a necklace, Marie," Dale pointed out.

"Yeah, and the chain's really long, I've seen it before," Lucky argued. "I'll just have to stand real close, that's all," she added in a lowered voice, but then shrugged as if it didn't matter to her. Dale thought about it for a moment.

"I'm not sure even that'd work. I am a lot taller than you," Dale reminded her.

"Then just sit down somewhere, and I'll sit in your lap," Lucky suggested. Dale blinked.

"Well, hell, if you're willing to sit on my lap for it, I'm all for it!" Dale said, instantly changing his mind.

"You are such a jerk," Lucky scowled at him, but made no further protests as they hurried towards an abandoned classroom and slipped inside. Dale pulled out the Time Turner and sat down, Lucky unceremoniously sitting on his lap. "You make one comment, and I'll pummel you into the ground, Owl goal or no Owl goal."

"This'll only take a minute," Dale promised her, putting the chain around her neck as well before reaching around to try and adjust it.

"Hey! Watch where you're putting your hands!"

"Sorry, if you'd just stop moving..."

"I'm not the one moving around, and I know that wasn't an accident!"

"I'm just trying to turn this back an hour or two... could you please stay still? This isn't easy, you know."

"Yeah, and neither am I!"

"Just hang on a minute!" Dale protested, wondering just how many times he actually turned the thing even as he set it spinning. But soon it was too late to worry about it, for the Time Turner was already in motion, spinning faster and faster until it finally seemed to wind down, the movement slowing at the end rather like a tin soldier. Finally it stopped altogether, and Dale carefully pulled the chain off Lucky.

"Hey!" Lucky said, pushing his hands away and jumping off his lap.

"Okay, that time it might have been intentional," Dale said mischievously.

"Are you sure we went back at all? Everything looks the same to me," Lucky said unsurely.

"Not much is going to change in an empty room. Let's take a look around, but we need to be careful not to bump into each other or change anything our other selves might be doing, or we might cause a time paradox," Dale said.

"Yeah, yeah, I know the drill, I watch Doctor Who," Lucky said with an unconcerned shrug. "What's the plan?"

"First let's make sure I got the time right. I tried to get us here right before lunch, since I know we're going to be outside, and nobody except Carnegie knows where we were... are going to be, rather, so we can easily check out the library without anyone getting suspicious," Dale said.

"But someone's probably already taken it out of there by now," Lucky complained. "Maybe we should go further back."

"I don't know what will happen if we try jumping back a second time. Let's see if we can find out anything right now before we attempt that," Dale suggested. "Come on."

The two of them walked out and back to the main corridor to find a handful of other students wandering the halls, and many more were in the Great Hall, eating.

"Looks like you got the timing right," Lucky said as the two of them hurried towards the library.

"Great, then nobody will notice us being anywhere that we shouldn't be," Dale said as they stepped into the library. But the two of them couldn't help but notice just how quiet the library was. In fact, other than a ghost sitting at the checkout desk, no one seemed to be in there, at all. "Strange that the library would be so empty, considering how many Professors had tests today," Dale mused.

"They're all still eating," Lucky shrugged, walking towards the back.

"You're right, perhaps that's it," Dale agreed, following her over to the staff room. With only a glance in his direction, Lucky cracked her knuckles symbolically before putting her hands on the door, while Dale stood with his back to her in case anyone came up to them, wondering what sort of story he could tell if they got caught. But soon he felt a nudge, and he turned in surprise to see she already had the door open. "Wow, that was fast."

"Yeah, I'm good like that," Lucky said smugly, peering into the room to make sure nobody was in there before motioning Dale to follow her in. Immediately she saw the pedestal with the dark cover on it in the middle of the room, striding right over to it while Dale, who had never been in there before, couldn't help but to glance around. "It's still here, look," she said, pulling up the cover a bit. Dale came over, peeking in curiously at the crystal and three mirrors inside.

"What are they for?" Dale asked.

"Some sort of divination thing the Professor was experimenting with when I first came here. I don't think he's touched it lately though... I think he's worried he might tick off Viviane again after that bit last year," Lucky admitted. Dale stared at her. "Yeah, it's that kind of crystal."

"I can see why the Professor's so worried about it getting into the wrong hands then," Dale said. "We'd better go tell him."

"What? Now?"

"Maybe if he knows about it now, he can put it away before it gets stolen," Dale explained, hurrying back out. "Come on, let's take the lift. I don't want to have to leave that crystal alone any longer than necessary."

"Fine, but let me do the talking," Lucky said, quickly taking the lead on the way to the Door Lift. The moment the door opened showing the landing right at the top of the spiral stairs, Lucky ran in and burst through the doors of the Headmaster's Study.

"Ever heard of knocking?" Severus said flatly.

"Sorry, but there's something important we gotta tell you..." Lucky began, but Dale suddenly grabbed her arm.

"Wait! Don't say anything!" Dale said.

_"Qué?"_ Lucky said in surprise. "What do you mean don't say anything? Why the hell did we come up here for then?"

"Lucky, look at the clock on the wall. It's not lunchtime," Dale said.

Lucky frowned and stared at the clock, which read eight-thirty.

"So why don't we just tell him now and save everybody the trouble?" Lucky said.

"Well, for one thing, because he hasn't actually given me the Time Turner yet. I didn't get it until nine," Dale pointed out. The two of them slowly turned towards the Headmaster, who had begun to drum his fingers on his desk in obvious irritation.

"Didn't either of you think to grab a watch?" he asked curtly.

"Well, if we had grabbed it before this all started, wouldn't it have shown our time before we left and not now?" Dale asked.

"There are watches charmed to fix themselves if they are running fast or slow so that they stay accurate. Any charmed to do so will reorient itself," Severus said, pulling open a drawer and rummaging through it until he brought out a plain silver watch, looking it over to make certain it was still working. Before handing it out to Dale. "Make sure you return this when you return the Time Turner."

"Hey, why don't you just give it to Dale when he comes in to get the Time Turner? Then this won't happen, right?" Lucky suggested.

"I am in no mood today to deal with any more time paradoxes than you have already caused by being in here. Now, take the watch, and leave by my sitting room. That will prevent you from running the risk of bumping into yourselves," Severus said, getting up to open the sitting room door for them.

"Good idea," Dale agreed. "Thanks, Professor, you won't regret it."

"I'm already regretting it, and I haven't even given you the blasted thing yet," Severus scowled at him, and the two of them went out, shutting the door with the sleeping dragon painting on it.

"So now what?" Lucky sighed.

"What else? We need to go back down to the library and keep an eye on it ourselves," Dale said, walking towards the main stairwell.

"That'll be easy until people start hitting their first classes, but then I think it'd be obvious we aren't where we're supposed to be," Lucky pointed out as they walked down the stairs.

"I already have that covered, I think. Literally," Dale said, taking a stuffed pouch out of his pocket. "Chameleon Powder. Mum always makes me carry it around on days I have to deal with the public in case of emergency, and I should have enough for both of us."

"The stuff isn't full proof," Lucky pointed out.

"I don't think it's going to rain in the library, Marie," Dale teased with a chuckle. "If it did, I'd think Boulderdash would be too busy worrying about the books than about us. Besides, I'm not sure he'd turn us in if he did catch us, you know."

"Let's just not test that theory," Lucky advised, the two of them stepping back into the same empty room they had been in before to dust themselves with the camouflage powder. It was slower going then, and Lucky was more than a little worried about getting separated, so for once she took his hand and let him take the lead as they worked their way to the library. The halls proved to be the most hazardous of places with students racing by on their way to their first classes, and they had so many close calls that Dale ended up pulling Lucky into one of the secret passages to get past the busiest of them. "How long has this been here?"

"It's always been here. Laura knows these passages really well and I've caught her shortcutting through them a lot," Dale explained quietly, peering out the glass eyes of a lion at the hall they just came out of. "There aren't any close to the library though, but we should be able to pass the main traffic this way."

Just then, the two of them heard a loud sigh in the passage behind them. Even though they were still invisible, it was obvious that Maurice had heard them, for the boy shaking was his head in disapproval.

"You know, you really are going to run into yourselves if you two keep this up," Maurice said. "And watch out for the cat when you're going through these back passages," he added as he carefully passed the area he had heard their voices coming from so he could get to his next class.

"What cat?" Lucky asked.

"You'll figure it out, Fortuna," Maurice said. "Just remember that cat knows this castle a fair bit better than you do, especially the passages," he warned. He slipped out a narrow doorway they hadn't seen before, immediately becoming part of the paneling the moment he passed.

"I don't get that kid," Lucky said flatly.

"Never mind, let's just keep going," Dale urged, and Lucky took his hand again as he lead her down the dark passage, finally coming out near the staff room door.

In fact, it was so close to the staff room Lucky suddenly realized that students were not the only ones who used those passages, and she wondered if they had just gotten incredibly lucky getting out of there without running into someone more hostile than her uncle. But by the time they had gotten to the library, most of the students had already gone to class and it was as empty as when they had come in the first time. The only person in the room was Boulderdash, standing by his desk sorting a pile of scrolls into a rolling cart that had always reminded Lucky of a wine rack. But soon she felt Dale's arm insistently pulling her towards the back, and she missed the fact that Boulderdash's ear twitched as they did so. He sniffed the air experimentally, but then after a moment went back to his work, not even batting an eye when the door to the research library opened and then closed again.

"No problem," Lucky said smugly after they made sure no one else was in there.

"Looks like the crystal is still here too," Dale said, peeking below the cloth to make sure. "Let's find somewhere out of the way to watch. They discovered it was missing just before afternoon classes, so it has to be before then."

"Over here, by these back bookcases," Lucky suggested, and Dale found her shoulder and followed her back to a wall of bookshelves. The center aisle was wide enough they could get a clear view of the pedestal and yet still stay well out of the way, so the two of them sat down on the floor. "I wonder how long we'll have to wait," Lucky asked in a low voice. "And what are we going to do when they get here?"

"Well, there's no reason to put ourselves in danger if we don't have to," Dale said, highly suspecting that Lucky would have given him a dirty look if she could see him. "We'll see who it is, then sneak out the moment we can and report it to the Headmaster."

"I say we nab him," Lucky said.

"And just how do we explain to everyone else how we did it, considering we're both in class right now?" Dale asked.

"I guess you have a point," Lucky sighed.

"We're also going to need to quiet down. Nobody's going to come sneaking into a room when they hear voices," Dale added, lowering his voice. Lucky sighed but didn't say anything else, trying to get comfortable despite the fact that one of the longer tomes was sticking uncomfortably against her shoulder, forcing her to move it over.

But just as she was finally settled for a long vigil and was trying to come up with something to keep her mind occupied to combat the boredom, he heard a very soft but unmistakable snore. Sighing again, Lucky decided to let him sleep until something else happened.

Suddenly she jarred herself awake, not quite remembering when it was she fell asleep but knowing that she did, trying to focus on the pedestal in front of her. She was not surprised to find that there was nothing there. She jumped to her feet and was about to cuss outright when she felt a chill and realized that she and Dale weren't the only ones in the room. The haze that she had seen when she first woke up wasn't just tiredness as she thought it was; instead, it was a smoky, misty shape that seemed to be hovering near the pedestal... hovering as if perhaps it had heard her get to her feet. She found herself holding her breath then, watching the mist fixedly until it finally seemed to turn and hurried towards the door. It was then she noticed something she hadn't while it was standing still; a pair of white shoe soles that appeared close to the floor as the mist walked out the door.

"Lucky?" she heard a whisper, and quickly she went back over to quiet him, nearly tripping over him in the process.

"Come on! Let's go tail him!" she hissed, and Dale ended up having to grab on to the back of her shirt to keep from losing her. But as they ran out into the corridor, there was no sign of him in either direction.

"He must have gone into the secret passages," Dale said, looking down the hall. "He couldn't have gotten anywhere else except for the staff room or the Great Hall that fast without us seeing him."

"Yeah he could've, with the right potion," Lucky murmured.

"And he would have passed a full Great Hall where students are bound to be wandering about outside of it," Dale said, leading her over to a panel next to a lion statue and sliding it so they could get inside.

Quickly they followed it until the first time it intersected another passage, arriving just in time to see what looked like a wisp of white smoke trailing down one of them. Dale immediately felt Lucky run pass him and realized she had begun to run. He took off after her, skirting the next corner in time to see the wisp heading another direction. He was so intent on what they were chasing that he forgot Lucky was in front of him until they came crashing painfully together, landing in a lump on the floor.

"Are you alright?" Dale asked apologetically, but Lucky immediately started cussing.

"We lost him for sure this time," Lucky said. "Let's get this stuff off!"

"No, Lucky, not yet," Dale pleaded. "Not until we get back to the Professor at any rate."

"He's probably in the library by now," Lucky said.

"Yes, but don't you remember, he made a point of telling us that he'd be in his study after he was done? I think it's time we went that way, because there's no way we're going to catch up with who took it. At least we can tell the Professor what we know," Dale said.

"Fine. What's the quickest way there from here?" Lucky asked.

"Um... not a clue," Dale admitted. "Come on, let's try and find a passage that I recognize."

"You don't know where we are?" Lucky asked flatly.

"Sure, we're in Hogwarts. We can't get _that_ lost," Dale said, reaching out and finding Lucky's hand.

After ten minutes of wandering around, Lucky had begun to wonder when Dale would admit that they really were lost. Abruptly she bumped into him, but it didn't take long to figure out why. Sitting in their way in front of them was the ghost of a cat; completely transparent except for a pair of eyes so red they seemed to be glowing. As if that weren't enough, it was quite apparent that the cat could see them.

"It's Mrs. Norris," Dale whispered. "We'd better go back the other way."

"What? I'm not scared of that stupid cat. Let's bottle her," Lucky said. Mrs. Norris hissed menacingly.

"The last student that tried to bottle her ended up in the hospital ward for three days," Dale murmured. "Not all ghosts are as docile as most the ghosts here are, you know. Some can be quite malicious, and dangerous."

"She'd better not scratch me up, or I'll make sure the Professor hears about it," Lucky said warily. The cat simply stared unconcernedly at her. "I don't know why he puts up with it in the first place."

"Because it was the old caretaker's cat," Dale said. "I wonder if we're by Mr. Carnegie's rooms?"

"He isn't there, remember? He said he was going to fix something in the laundry room after lunch," Lucky said.

Suddenly the ghost cat stood up, staring at them a moment longer before slowly walking further down the corridor she had been blocking. She then stopped and turned around, sitting back down and staring at them again.

"What is it doing?" Dale asked.

"It's almost like she wants us to follow her," Lucky murmured.

"Fine, but let's not get too close. If I come home for Christmas with my face scratched up, my parents will kill me," Dale said.

"Oh brother," Lucky said, taking the lead.

The corridor grew much narrower than Lucky liked; in fact, it was also decidedly shorter than some of the others to the point where she heard a thump and a groan as Dale hit his head against the ceiling. But when they got within an arm's length of the spectral cat, the cat hissed at them again.

"Please tell me we're not going to have to backtrack through that," Dale said with a sigh. But Lucky ignored him, watching the cat carefully. The cat stood up again, and then promptly floated through the wall. "So much for following the cat, but at least it moved."

"Wait a minute. Look at the panel there," Lucky said. "See the initials? G.F."

"G.F.?" Dale repeated, but then paused. "I don't think I know anybody with those initials."

"Me either, but who knows how long it's been there," Lucky said, kneeling down and fiddling with the panel until finally it opened up. "Bingo. See? There is something here." Dale cautiously crouched down with a hand on Lucky's shoulder.

"Odd. It's dark in there," Dale said.

"I think it's in some sort of closet," Lucky explained, reaching in experimentally.

"Be careful, Lucky," Dale said, but Lucky was already in the process of opening the closet door itself. The door swung open, and light came in, the two of them peering out into a small, simple office, which was incredibly clean and perfectly dusted. In fact, the only lavish thing about it was the ornate Oriental rug that covered most of the floor. But it was the corkboard on the wall that got Lucky's attention, filled with notes on what needed attention in the castle along with a duty roster.

"No doubt about it, this is Carnegie's office," Lucky said with a nodded.

"Then I think we have a problem," Dale said, his voice sounding so strange that Lucky turned back around to see several things moving at the bottom of the closet. A moment later, the crystal device, still covered, slid into view.

"What the hell? Carnegie wouldn't do anything like this!" Lucky said in horror. "Someone must be trying to set him up!"

"I agree. I don't think he did it either, especially after what we heard today," Dale said. "Whoever did it must have discovered the panel back here and was hoping to get him in trouble. He's on probation, isn't he? If it was found here, it'd be enough cause for the Ministry to want to bring him in, no matter what anyone else thinks."

"Then it's not going to be found here," Lucky said, waiting for him to pick it up before closing the closet door again.

"We are going to take this to the Professor though, right?" Dale said.

"Yeah, but I got a feeling he'd wanna know what's going on before we find this here," Lucky said as they scrambled out in to the passage and she shut the panel tightly. Immediately getting the hint, Dale let out a sigh and quickly found her close to him.

"Next time, how about we do this without the Time Turner?" Dale said only half-joking as he put the chain around her neck as well.

* * *

Severus stared at the map in disbelief, counting the numbers of Dales and Luckys and then glancing at his appointment book to correlate which pair was which. Shaking his head, he watched as a pair of them hurried up the spiral stairs.

"About time you got here. Again," Severus added dryly.

"Sorry, Professor, we're done now, I think," Dale said.

"Not entirely, Mr. Chance, considering you both have two more afternoon classes to attend," Severus pointed out.

"What?" Lucky said, aghast.

"Have you forgotten the entire point I gave that thing to him was so he wouldn't miss his tests? You are going," Severus said firmly, ignoring the annoyed look his daughter was giving him. "I suggest while you wait for your Arithmantics class to end that you, Miss Snape, retire to Professor Craw's sitting room for a short nap, and you, Mr. Chance, take a short map in mine. That should also be plenty of time for all your other selves to sort out so there are only two of you again. I will have paintings watching to make sure you stay in your own rooms," he added for good measure.

"Fine by me. I could really use a nap," Dale agreed, and Severus opened the door.

"I think I'll just go study," Lucky said with a sigh.

"Also a good idea," Severus said, watching her step through the bedroom before finally walking back out to the study, closing the curtain but pointedly leaving the door open.

"Professor, I believe Governors Balmweed and Coventry are on their way up," the portrait of Armando Dippet said as Severus walked back in.

"That didn't take long, did it? And yet I notice they didn't bother to bring anyone from the Ministry along," Severus said, waving the doors open and sitting at the desk. "Not that Thomas would be likely to listen."

"That's probably why they didn't bother," Armando said with amusement but then took his normal pose as footsteps sounded on the spiral staircase.

"Good afternoon," Severus said calmly when the two men appeared at the top of the stairs, glaring at the Doorlift before stepping inside.

"You may want to have that Doorlift looked at, Severus. It refused to open for us," Norman said irritably.

"Did it?" Severus said expressionlessly. "Sorry, it appears to be picking up some of the castle's quirks. Did the stairs cooperate at least?"

"Yes, for the most part..."

"Never mind all of that," Abraxus said with an impatient sigh. "We have been getting rather disturbing reports that there was some sort of breach of security in the castle, Severus."

"Oh? What is your son accusing us of doing this time, Abraxus?" Severus asked.

"Now, Severus, you know I wouldn't be here if it were just a student complaint," Norman said admonishingly.

"No, but that would be why Abraxus is here," Severus said evenly.

"We heard there was some sort of security breach, Severus, one involving some sort of experimental project of yours that I don't recall ever hearing about before," Norman said.

"Oh?" Severus asked with a raised brow.

"A set of crystals and mirrors that you kept in the research library," Norman clarified.

"It's an augury device, Norman, used for security matters only, and has been on official security listings for the last six years," Severus said.

"And yet that security device has been stolen!" Abraxus snapped.

"I rather think that's jumping to conclusions, don't you, Abraxus?" Severus sighed. "Librarian Boulderdash only discovered it was missing ninety minutes ago, and Jennifer is looking into it. So far I don't see anything to be alarmed about, and certainly nothing I would go to the board with unless it's still missing by the next meeting, which I highly doubt. It was probably just misplaced, considering only staff can go in there."

"Misplaced?" Abraxus said in disbelief.

"Abraxus, if I thought for an instant that device or anything else of any value had been stolen from this castle, I wouldn't be sitting here doing paperwork right now," Severus said. "Furthermore, I'm sure Jennifer will get to the bottom of it, provided we give her a chance to do her job."

"Perhaps she should start by questioning Mr. Carnegie," Norman suggested. Severus squinted at him. "After all, he's the one with a criminal record."

"Norman, if I asked Jennifer to question everyone who had a criminal record on staff, she'd have to question ninety percent of my faculty," Severus said dryly. "Including herself and myself. You know perfectly well I don't judge my employees by their past but what they've done to overcome it, and in this, John has faired better than most. At any rate, I really think the two of you have better things to do than jump at false rumors."

Just then there was a soft knock and Severus waved the doors open, unsurprised to see Jennifer standing there, peering in.

"Sorry, am I interrupting?" Jennifer said before stepping in.

"Nothing important, I assure you," Severus said calmly. "Find out anything?"

"As a matter of fact, I found out you might have forgotten something," Jennifer said in such a tone that Severus looked up at her curiously. "Like the fact that you requested that John and the House Elves detail the research library."

"Well, it had crossed my mind. The last time I went in the back library, the windows were sticking and I was worried about the humidity level in there because of the damp weather we've been having," Severus mused.

"He found a note this morning on his duty board to have it done today, and I think the House Elves knew better than to mess with one of your experiments and put it on Carnegie's desk so that he had to deal with it," Jennifer said with amusement. "He's busy cleaning it now, though, and will put it back when he's done."

"And you honestly believed that story?" Abraxus said with a laugh of incredulity. "He probably said that to cover up the fact he was found with it!"

"Abraxus, you know perfectly well if he had lied to me, I would have seen right through it. Besides, what reason would he have to do so? I admit that crystal might be worth a bit of money if sold to the right people, but John would never risk his job like that. He's done everything the board and Severus has demanded, both to get this position as well as to keep it, and he certainly wouldn't be taking chances right now before the holiday. It'll be the first Christmas he's had at home in Ireland at least six years, after all. And if you want my honest opinion, Abraxus, my honest opinion is that John Carnegie is actually one of the most dependable people in this castle, and considering the fact that practically everyone on staff is dependable, that is saying a lot. In any case, I really don't see what such a trivial school matter should interest you at all, really."

"Yes, I most emphatically agree," Severus said firmly. "So unless there's anything else, gentlemen? I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon enough at the last board meeting before the holiday, and I think I'll be bringing a few complaints of my own to Eric's attention."

"I do not think it's in your best interests to be covering for a thief, Severus," Norman sighed, getting up.

"Nor do I," Severus agreed. "So if I ever catch a thief, I'll let you know. Jennifer, would you mind staying for a moment, please? I'm sure these gentlewizards know their way out by now."

"Of course," Jennifer said with a nod, moving away from the doorway as Norman and Abraxus stepped out. They frowned with annoyance when they noticed that the Doorlift was open and showing the school's entry hall. As the two men stepped through and the doors closed, Jennifer turned around and gave Severus an enigmatic smile, lowering her spectacles slightly.

"I do rather like those spectacles," Severus decided.

"Not that I had to lie at all in this case, Severus, but they do help me focus and they remind me not to say too much," Jennifer said with amusement. "And I like how I can truly concentrate on my Truth Seeking when I'm actually trying, although I admit I do seem to be missing a lot more of what's going on when I'm not trying."

"Perhaps, but the benefits outweigh the disadvantages," Severus said. "As to what really happened this afternoon, I believe have sorted it out, but it will take some time to unravel for you. I'll speak to you about it at dinner."

"Oh? Did you learn something then?" Jennifer asked with interest.

"Yes, I learned that the mystery Dale and Lucky have gotten themselves involved in has very little to do with the deaths or the accidents concerning the paw," Severus decided. "But even more importantly, I learned that I should never...and I do mean never ever... lend a student a Time Turner, no matter _how_ reasonable the request sounds at the time." Jennifer chuckled at him, returning back to her classes while Severus went to the sitting room to retrieve his belongings.


	27. The Mystery Girl

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The Mystery Girl

Jennifer brushed off the snow and stepped into the house, smiling when she saw Ben sitting on the rug of the living room with Janus and Rus.

"Good morning! You're home early!" Jennifer said with surprise and went over to the two boys who already had their hands up in the air, fighting over who was going to be picked up first.

"I took an extra week off to potty train Janus," Ben admitted with a chuckle.

"Already? My goodness, they grow up so fast! You're getting to be such a big boy now!" Jennifer said and picked Janus up. Janus then noticed someone out in the hall and pointed his finger at him.

"Bad!" Janus said accusingly towards Severus.

"That's Grandfather," Jennifer corrected him gently.

"Badpa!" Janus agreed.

"I see you've had your hands full as usual, Benjamin," Severus said, closing the front door and taking off his cloak. "Where is Aurelius?"

"Oh, he's upstairs in his room, I'd imagine," Ben said. Jennifer frowned. "He doesn't spend much time downstairs while they're awake, really. He seems uncomfortable around young children in general, although to be fair, he will read to Janus if Janus corners him."

"How is he doing, Ben?" Jennifer asked concernedly.

"Under the circumstances, I'd say he's doing about as well as can be expected," Ben said carefully. "He's a much quieter man than he used to be. In fact, the only time he says anything is when you ask him a direct question, and even though he'll answer, it's usually in the shortest possible way he can think of. He will come down to read the paper if the boys are asleep, and if things get too noisy in the house, he'll go 'take a walk,' although he's usually gone for a couple of hours when he does. He'll also pitch in if needed, but lately, he's been more restless. If I had a guess, I'd say he misses his work, although honestly I don't think he's anywhere near ready to return to it."

"No, probably not," Severus agreed. "I'll go upstairs and attempt to persuade him to come down."

"Then I suppose I'll make some coffee before I start going through the kitchen supplies," Jennifer decided, putting Janus down.

As Severus went up the stairs, Jennifer went into the kitchen with Janus not far behind, apparently just as interested in inspecting what was in the cupboards and icebox as she was. But after they discovered where the shortbread was kept and Janus persuaded her to hand him one, he immediately lost interest and wandered back towards the living room.

"Badpa!" Janus said accusingly when Severus came downstairs.

"I'll be back in a moment. I'm going to go to the basement to open the familiar cages," Severus called to Jennifer from the hallway. Reluctantly Aurelius entered the kitchen by himself and sat down at the bar.

"Good morning, Aurelius!" Jennifer said cheerfully, leaving the pantry door wide open and then walking over to the window. A moment later, Ratfly flapped in from the hall and immediately took his perch in the pantry while Dodger made himself comfortable on the window ledge. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to come to Dagda's Market with me after I get a list together?"

"If you need me," Aurelius said quietly.

"As a matter of fact, it'd be a big help having a pair of extra hands, considering I need to get this done before the train gets here with Lucky this afternoon. I need to put all the baskets together early this year, since we've got that horrendous schedule on Yule... first the silly Ministry Ball and then Joanie's wedding in Canada that same night... but don't worry. Your father booked a floor of rooms at the Jingle Bell Inn in Polaris Town so we don't have to head back that night, and it should be fairly quiet since we have the whole floor. Not only that, but I hear there's nothing like Polaris Town for Christmas shopping. I am going to miss having Yule here," she added wistfully, glancing over at Severus as he walked in. "Although I suppose we'll all be together for Christmas Eve."

"Which reminds me... I need to check in with Webstring to see if she got that book bound yet," Severus said.

"We can do that, Severus, since we need to go out anyhow," Jennifer offered.

"Are you sure you're going to be all right going down there?" Severus asked.

"Honestly, Severus! If I didn't think I was up to it, I wouldn't have offered. It isn't as if it'll take long," Jennifer said in annoyance. "Besides, I am bringing Aurelius with me, so perhaps you can settle in and relax for a change. You haven't been able to take any time for yourself in simply ages, and considering how busy this holiday is bound to be, I'd think you'd be thrilled to have the chance to lock yourself in the library for a few hours."

"That sounds like a rather good idea, come to think of it," Severus agreed. Jennifer smiled at him warmly, moving out of the way so he could pour himself some coffee. "I suppose you'd object to picking up pipe tobacco?"

"Of course I'd object. I don't think I ought to be catering to your vices," Jennifer chided him.

"Why not? I cater to yours," Severus pointed out expressionlessly. Jennifer met his gaze, but had a terrible time keeping a straight face.

"Oh, very well, you win! Just put it down on the list and make sure you give me enough information that I get the right kind," Jennifer said, and then peered through to the front room. "Ben! I'm going shopping, so come add whatever you need for the boys!"

"Are you going to be picking Lucky up from the station as well?" Ben asked.

"Yes, but that's not until later," Jennifer said.

"Well, don't be surprised if the media is swarming the station like mad when you get there. In fact, you'll probably want to key her home," Ben advised.

"I doubt there will be any trouble this year, Benjamin," Severus put in. "Dale's parents came and got him early so that they could arrange his arrival on a train and schedule they could publicize and made sure the time was far enough before the Hogwart's Express there would be no reason for them to linger."

"Well, hopefully that will work," Ben said, but still had a worried look on his face. "But I don't think it's just Dale they want to talk to."

"Surely that silly business last year at Harrod's has long past by now," Severus said.

"It had, yes, but the band has been in the news lately. They've been doing a lot of promotions because they released a single and have that album coming up in the spring..."

"I know all about that, thank you, which is one of the reasons his parents contrived this diversion," Severus said impatiently.

"Did they happen to mention that the American press recently released an article both on the net and in print that confirmed that Dale was dating?" Ben asked. Severus stared at him. "Many of them are speculating it's the same girl that hit Dale. One of the papers even gave a name."

"What? Which name?" Severus asked in alarm.

"Lucky Snape," Ben admitted. Severus let out a short sigh, and then looked over at Jennifer.

"Americans... why Americans? How could they know anything that happens in my school? Wasn't the last time something odd hit the press out of America as well?" Severus asked.

"Perhaps they just linked them together because she's really the only girl who they've seen him with outside of school, Severus," Jennifer offered.

"They couldn't guess a name. Someone must have said something," Severus murmured. "Where is this article that mentions her name, Benjamin?"

"On the computer. I'll have to find it again..."

"Show me," Severus said. "Jennifer, bring her straight home and don't let her wander into the city without an escort."

"But Severus! She depends on that freedom as an outlet."

"It isn't as if I want to restrict her, Jennifer..."

"I'll escort her around," Aurelius said suddenly. The two of them turned in surprise, but Aurelius hadn't looked up from his coffee and his expression was still distant. "I'm trained to do that sort of thing, after all. She wouldn't even know I was there."

"Fine, as long as she is told someone is watching her. We've worked too hard to build that thin layer of trust with her to have it dashed now," Severus said. Aurelius nodded. "I'd better go see what they're saying and if there are any clues at all where they are getting this information from."

"So much for convincing him to relax," Jennifer said under her breath as he followed Ben to the front room. Shaking her head, she went back to her shopping list.

* * *

Dale stared at his schedule for the next two weeks, wishing he had been one of the lucky students that had gotten to stay at the school over the holidays.

"Let me get this straight. I have an appearance every night after our recording session? How am I going to have any voice left?" Dale asked his father point blank.

"Oh, don't worry. If that happens, I do have some emergency potions on hand, Dale. We have a lot to do and only two weeks to do it in, you know."

"We've only had two weeks before, but it's like you have us planned for four. What's with the two hour meet and greet before the children's charity event? I thought we decided we were doing a recording this year so we didn't have to do live..."

"That doesn't mean we can get out of actually going," Bert said. "Besides, I thought that event was you and your mother's idea. I thought you'd enjoy it. Now, don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to unpack before the one-on-one interview with Catey Batey tonight..."

"Six hours a night for sleep, ninety minutes for prep... when am I going to do my homework?"

"Oh. Well, you'll be off on Christmas," Bert said cheerfully.

Dale gave him a dirty look but decided not to say anything more, dutifully allowing himself to be put on a train only to come off of it again fifteen minutes later to walk into a pile of screaming girls. He stopped and cordially chatted with a few and signed autographs, despite his father's and guard's attempts at hurrying him up. Finally he relented and allowed himself to be herded into the limo, not saying another word until they got back up to their flat. As usual, Dale's mother was near the bar with a cell phone, seashell, laptop, and several wizard magazines spread out in front of her.

"Myrine! Look what I found in a crowd of adoring fans! I was forced to rescue him!" Bert declared with amusement.

"Rescued me? He egged them on," Dale said irritably. "What is he tub-thumping about this time, Mother? Why am I looking at the schedule from hell while Dad has dollar signs in his eyes again?" Myrine gave her son a sympathetic look, but she wasn't given time to answer.

"You don't have to sound so accusing, Dale, it isn't my doing at all," Bert assured him. "Somehow, the media back home heard a rumor that you have been seeing a girl at your school and have been on a frenzy to find out more information on her. They've been calling and mailing us night and day about it!" he said cheerfully.

"Oh, God, Dad, please tell me you didn't tell them about Lucky."

"Goodness, no, of course not! Why would I, when not knowing is making so many headlines? Look! _Dale's Mystery Girl Still in Question!_ And tons of entertainment and gossip websites are offering all sort of cash rewards for photos and information... in fact, many of them just raised it," Bert said excitedly. Behind him, Myrine was shaking her head.

"But this is bad! This is even worse than what they were doing last year!" Dale snapped angrily. "Who cares about the headlines! Don't you care what might happen to Lucky if this all came out? You know what her past is like!" Myrine gazed at her son searchingly.

"Anything that would do her any harm is locked up in court confidentiality, dear boy. Really, you have nothing to worry about..."

"I'm not worried about me! I'm worried about Lucky! If I was worried about me at all, I'd be telling you that this schedule is insane, and if I had normal parents, they'd be demanding more money or half of it would be cancelled!" Dale shouted at him.

"How much more money do you want?" Bert asked in a low voice.

"Forget it! It's useless talking to you. Mum?"

"Only the interview today is under a written contract, Dale. So except for that and recording sessions, feel free to cancel any appearances you're not feeling up to," she shrugged.

"Myrine!" Bert said, horrified.

"Fine, expect changes then," Dale said, storming off to his room and slamming the door behind himself.

"Myrine! I thought we agreed that he could handle it!" Bert said, putting his hands on his hips.

"Physically, yes, but if he doesn't want to do it, we'd be foolish to press him. He's grown up, Bert, and he's old enough and wise enough to run his own life. He understands his obligations and he knows his limitations probably better than we do, and he has the right to voice his professional opinion when it doesn't match yours. Personally, I for one will be very glad when this last tour is over with so he can concentrate on getting ready for college, and we can go back to just plain being his parents again... assuming you don't wreck your relationship with him before we get there, that is," Myrine added.

"What? Oh come now, Myrine. I'm sure the boy knows that I'm only acting within his bests interests," Bert said defensively.

"Perhaps he would, if he were a boy," Myrine said evenly, returning back to work.

* * *

Lucky came in and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw it was her father sitting at the computer instead of Ben. Beside him were an empty coffee cup and a discarded plate making her realize that he had been sitting there for some time, staring at the screen with a serious expression past his spectacles. Ben was sitting behind him with a half-asleep Rus on his lap.

"We're back!" Jennifer said cheerfully, apparently unsurprised at what Severus was doing despite the fact that he had never been over in that corner before. "Lucky, why don't you go change and take care of Houdini, and then I'd like you to help me in the kitchen."

"I'd like a word with you first before you go up, Lucky," Severus said. Lucky shrugged, stepping over to see several windows were open, mostly Second Chance fan websites.

"What are you looking at those for?" Lucky asked.

"I'm monitoring what the popular rumors are, believe it or not," Severus said, getting up and letting Ben take over.

"Since when do you pay attention to any kind of rumors, let alone the teen frenzy type?" Lucky snorted.

"Never, until now, when they've begun to involve you," Severus admitted in a low voice. "A very strong rumor is going around that Dale is involved with someone, and the majority of sites and periodicals have linked it to that Harrod's incident last year and are hunting for more information. Someone in America has even given your name, although the other papers are reporting it as unconfirmed, since of course they can't find anything on any girl by that name using Muggle methods. Therefore, I need you to be extremely careful when you go out. To be perfectly honest, I would much prefer that you didn't go out at all, but if you do go out, don't be surprised if you notice Aurelius keeping an eye on you from a distance."

"What! I don't need a babysitter!" Lucky scowled, looking around but Aurelius had already retreated upstairs. "I lived on the streets of New York when I was ten. I'm not gonna be put off by some stupid paparazzi!"

"Then think of it as helping your brother," Severus said seriously, lowering his voice. "He is having trouble adjusting and has been clinging to family lately in an attempt to rebuild himself. This will help him fill that need and still give him something to do linked to his training as an Auror. He isn't going to get in your way unless there's an emergency, and I think his recovery is more important than a bit of ego bruise on your part, don't you?"

"Yeah, fine," Lucky sighed.

"Thank you, you may go unpack then," Severus said turning his attention back to the computer screen.

"Apparently he's going to be doing an interview later today," Ben commented, having clicked over to Second Chance's main website. "The last of the five to be interviewed by Catey Batey apparently."

"Who?"

"An entertainment reporter who is well known for asking personal questions," Ben said.

"I'm sure Irwindale can handle the worst of them, Benjamin, it's not him I'm worried about so much as whoever it is feeding them all this information out of the school," Severus sighed.

"It isn't as if Lucky hasn't been seen with Dale before," Ben said thoughtfully. "Are you certain they're not just making good guesses?"

"Yes," Severus said evenly, making note of the time of the interview. "Quite certain."

It was later that evening when Jennifer was placing dinner on the table that she noticed everyone else was sitting around the television set. She stepped over to see woman with short but poofy blonde hair with curiously red highlights sitting across from Dale, who seemed quite comfortable despite the fact he was wearing a suit and tie.

"Have I missed anything?" Jennifer asked with interest.

"Band gossip so far... Tango's time in rehab, Julian divorcing his parents, that kind of thing," Ben murmured quiet.

"Lovely conversation," Jennifer said dryly, and got hushed for speaking too loudly.

"On the contrary, I couldn't be happier for them," Dale protested. "I think Kid and Duffy make a great couple, and they really have a lot in common. As for the rumors of us fighting about it, it's not even possible, considering I've been in school most of the time they've been dating."

"And what about you? Who have you been dating?" she pried.

"Well, between school and how tight my schedule is outside of it, who has the time to date?" Dale chuckled. "And next summer we'll be going on a world tour starting in Orlando and eventually ending up here in late August, so we're going to have an exciting and very busy year next year."

"Too busy even for a Miss Lucky Snape?" Catey asked. Dale checked himself, his eyes quickly shifting to his parents. His father was gesturing for him to roll with it, while his mother was frowning and shaking her head slightly... Dale shifted his gaze back again.

"Is that a new artist?" Dale asked to explain the pause. Catey glanced at the paper in her hand with a sly smile.

"Actually, there was an article in the Philadelphia Daily News linking that name to the girl that hit you in Harrod's last year. So when I interviewed Kid and Duffy last week, I asked her if she had met a girl by that name at the Galaxy game with the famous picture of the three of you. She admitted that she had, and mentioned that she believed the girl was a schoolmate of yours," Catey said.

"I'm not allowed to talk about other students who go to my school, sorry. We have a privacy agreement with the school," Dale said. "You know, to protect the school and other students from being affected by my fame, because they didn't really sign on for it, did they?"

"A straight answer, Dale, yes or no. Are you dating a girl named Lucky Snape?"

"I would never be interested in anyone who didn't like ABBA," Dale said solemnly.

Severus, Aurelius, Jennifer and Ben all glanced over at Lucky questioningly.

"So he converted me. So sue me," she shrugged.

"I expect you'll be getting a lot more fan mail then from girls who at least claim to like them, then," Catey said with amusement.

"Actually, that's great. It'd be nice to have more in common with my fans," Dale said with a charming smile, and when Catey turned the subject onto Dale's aspirations to be a sound engineer, Severus got up and stepped over to Jennifer.

"Pretty smooth kid, considering it was obvious he wasn't expecting that," Ben ventured.

"Dale has always had a good head on his shoulders," Jennifer agreed. "But dinner is getting cold, so I think it's time we ate."

"I'd better go wake the boys up then," Ben said.

"I'll help bring them down," Lucky offered, following him upstairs.

"What was he thinking about?" Severus asked after they left.

"He was angry at his father, actually," Jennifer said. Severus gazed at her thoughtfully. "Not that Bert had anything to do with it coming out, but I got the impression that Dale didn't like how his father was handling the situation. I don't know, Severus, maybe the fact that Dale and Lucky can't spend any time together this holiday will help persuade the media they're imagining things."

"If you ask me, the media around here imagines too much already," Severus said dryly, settling in his chair at the table.

Fortunately for Aurelius, Lucky seemed content over the next few days to stick close to the wizard parts of London. It didn't take but a glance to figure out why; for although Lucky wasn't worried about her own safety in town, she didn't want to make things any more difficult for Dale.


	28. Escort Service

_A/N SECOND chapter for the day! Hope you like it!  
_

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Escort Service

Aurelius spent many hours at the top of the stands in Aviation Park, welcoming the quiet but not necessarily the view. Too many memories flooded in of his youth; memories that inevitably reminded him of those matches with Conner that inevitably reminded him of Pali. He itched to get to his golf clubs and head south, escaping both his memories and the cold winter air, but he knew that it would probably be some time before he got the opportunity again. Before he knew it, it was the first of Yule, and he was reluctantly stepping out of the basement with his father, grateful that his father decided to voice something that he had been thinking himself.

"I suppose it'd be asking too much if we could just skip the Ministry Ball altogether and head straight for the wedding?" Severus asked.

"Severus, you promised both Draco and my father that you were going this year," Jennifer reminded him for the tenth time, already dressed in a forest green gown. "You know they're planning to announce the conservative candidate for Minister of Magic tonight. Now, please get ready. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can pay our respects and get out of there."

"Very well, Jennifer, but I will be glad when the night is over with. This is definitely not my idea of any sort of holiday," Severus grumbled irritably, walking towards the bedroom. Jennifer sighed at him, but as she turned to walk into the living room, she caught Aurelius nodding in agreement.

"Aurelius, you don't have to go if you really don't feel up to it. I'm sure Ben and the boys wouldn't mind the company here," Jennifer said.

"If the rest of the family is going, I'm going," Aurelius said simply, then went up to his room to change but then ended up waiting by the bathroom door until Lucky finally emerged, miraculously in the dress Jennifer had chosen for her without a word of complaint.

By the time Aurelius made it downstairs, Severus had emerged in his black brocade as well, and Alex had arrived and was busy getting hugs from the boys.

"Alicia is going to leave the ball early to come take you guys on to the wedding, so I'll meet you there," Alex said. "I can't wait, Janus and Icarus are going to love Polaris Town, especially this time of year! We'll have to take the full tour while we're there and get their pictures taken with Father Christmas."

"Make copies," Jennifer said insistently as she glanced in the mirror to make sure all her buttons were buttoned. Severus sneered slightly, but it disappeared when she turned back around. "I believe the others are meeting us at the ball, so we might as well be off."

"Have fun," Ben said with a smile that indicated he knew perfectly well they weren't likely to, coaxing the boys to wave as the others Disapparated.

In no time, they were standing in the reception area; Alex and Lucky went in first while Severus paused to offer an arm to Jennifer before they followed behind them. It was then they heard a strange noise that sounded very much like the snarling of a dragon coming from right behind them.

"What in stars was that?" Jennifer asked, for when she turned around. All she saw was Aurelius standing there with a dark look on his face.

"Amadeus Longbottom is here," Aurelius said evenly. Severus felt Jennifer's hand tighten on his arm.

"It isn't all that surprising, is it? Considering the nature of the event," Severus said calmly.

"He normally avoids these sorts of things when he knows we're going to be here," Jennifer said with obvious irritation. "In fact, he's always gone out of his way to adhere to the restraining order."

"That's because he knows I won't hesitate to put him out of his misery if he ever breaks it intentionally," Severus said calmly.

"Assuming no one else beats you to it," Aurelius said.

Severus gazed at him questioningly, but then he heard another growling dragon and glanced over to see Harry stepping in behind them, his eyes immediately darting around the room to find out where the Amadeus was. Finally he noticed Severus, Jennifer, and Aurelius standing just a few feet away from him. He glanced at Aurelius specifically, who nodded to him solemnly. He then stepped over to Severus and Jennifer with a warm smile that melted away the serious expression he had been wearing when he entered the room.

"Good to see you, Jennifer! I see he couldn't talk you out of coming tonight," Harry teased.

"How did you know?" Jennifer chuckled.

"A wild guess," Harry chuckled. "Good to see you as well, Severus."

"No Ginny tonight?" Severus inquired.

"No, she went on to Canada. Are you coming as well?" Harry asked.

"Of course we are. He certainly isn't going to talk me out of that, either," Jennifer said.

"Well, don't be surprised if you see an obvious lack of Weasleys tonight. Other than Percy, I don't think any of them are coming," Harry admitted.

"There won't be any lack of Snapes here, at least," Jennifer said. "Come to think of it, I ought to track down Andrew and Alicia."

"Great, that'll give me a chance to talk to my right hand man here," Harry said, finally acknowledging Aurelius who dutifully stepped to his side. "Save a dance for me, will you, Jennifer?"

"What makes you think I intend to share her," Severus asked with a glare. Harry grinned at Severus as he pulled her away, Jennifer chuckling at her husband as he did so.

"How are you feeling, Rel?" Harry asked in a low voice, the two of them walking further away from the door.

"I feel like… I'm watching life happen from the outside," Rel admitted somberly. Harry nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, I've been there myself," Harry admitted. Rel gazed at him questioningly. "Right after Voldemort died, believe it or not. I felt like that for a long time afterwards."

"Really?" Aurelius said, studying his face in an attempt to understand.

"Like it or not, we were connected," Harry shrugged. "And as much of a relief it was to myself and everyone else when he died, I felt like the entire point of my life was gone. I had no purpose anymore, and it felt to me like I was the only one. Everyone else threw a party and picked up where they left off with their lives. I had a lot of trouble doing that. Not that I ever felt like… unneeded or anything like that. With all the cleanup to do and all the friends that I felt obligated to, someone always needed me for something. I just had trouble needing myself for anything, as odd as that sounds."

"No, not odd at all," Aurelius said distantly. Harry nodded.

"Anyhow, I spent a long time just going through the motions, you know? Helping out when I was needed, doing what I always wanted to by entering Auror training and all that, hoping that sooner or later I'd just wake up feeling something one day. But I still didn't feel that same level of purpose I had before… well, not for over a year, really, until Ginny graduated from Hogwarts. And then I wanted to be a part of her life so badly that… somehow by learning to be a part of her life, I learned how to be a part of my own life again."

"How come every time someone comes up with a solution, it always ends up being something about getting involved with someone?" Aurelius grumbled.

"I'm sure there are plenty of other solutions, Rel," Harry assured him with a soft chuckle. "But honestly, now that you don't have to worry about its effects on Unicorns, what's holding you back from it?" Aurelius thought about it a moment, then shook his head.

"Guilt, I suppose," Aurelius admitted at last. "It would feel like I was taking advantage of Pali's death, you know what I mean?"

"Not really," Harry said with a shrug. "But I'm sure he does," he added, pointing over his shoulder. Aurelius looked behind him to see Corey standing there.

"That did sound like my cue, didn't it?" Corey said, Harry nodding in response. "Come on, Rel. Let's you and I get a drink and have a talk."

"By the way, Rel. I could use another set of hands on that paw thing… it's mainly just helping Alex with research at this point, but we are pretty short handed, if you feel you're up to it," Harry said.

"Sure," Rel said solemnly.

"Great, come see me after the holidays then," Harry said, and Aurelius nodded. Corey gave him a private smile then walked with Aurelius to get a drink and find a table.

"He seems to be doing better," Thomas mused from the corner where he, Draco, and Severus were talking.

"He is, yes, but it's been a slow uphill climb," Severus said. "At any rate, have there been any hints at all who they're going to choose? Usually they've said given out some word by now."

"No. The biggest hint I've gotten has been watching who has come in that door tonight," Draco said, their eyes all landing on where Amadeus and Byron Nelson were standing talking along with several of their cronies. Norman stood nearby as well, although admittedly he seemed more comfortable with the drink in his hand than the company he was tolerating.

"Well, whoever it is, it's obvious they're not going to lack for financial support," Thomas grunted. "At least, until Nelson finally screws up," he added in a lowered voice.

"And you're certain it isn't Nelson himself who is running?" Severus asked in a lowered voice.

"He wouldn't be that stupid," Draco said, immediately discounting it. "Danyelle and I would waste no time whatsoever in releasing the court papers of what happened to her, and there would be no lack of other people stepping forward to confirm it. Besides, my uncle would very much rather have a puppet to play with. You know, Nelson always hated my father. I wonder if he realizes just how much like him he's become."

"Frightening thought, and not as far from the truth as I would like," Thomas said darkly. "But this time I'll be damned before I let him cause half the havoc Lucius did. If I accomplish nothing else while I'm LE Minister, I'm getting rid of him, one way or the other."

"Then you'd better act fast," Draco said evenly. "Because I have a feeling if they're supporting whoever I'm running against, they will waste no time whatsoever in getting rid of you, Craw."

"I'm not that easy of a man to get rid of, if you haven't noticed," Thomas said unconcernedly. "Even assuming the very unlikely event of you getting voted out of office, they'd be fools to even try, considering I would be more dangerous to them outside of the office than in."

"For some reason, I don't doubt that," Draco said dryly. "Here comes Coventry, the old peacock."

Severus and Thomas looked up, and both of them couldn't help but smirk in agreement when they saw Abraxus, wearing expensive green robes with a rather odd sheen that sometimes made the robe take on different hues. On one arm was Beth in a lovely silver dress while Don walked by his other arm in black dress robes, and both were wearing custom silk Slytherin capes.

"Ah, Minister Malfoy, Happy Yule! How very nice to see you," Abraxus said cheerfully, while ignoring Thomas and Severus completely. "You remember my children Donald and Elizabeth, of course?"

"Where's Michael?" Severus said before Draco could comment.

"Michael wasn't feeling well, so Regina and he decided to stay behind tonight," Abraxus said.

"That's not what happened! He got in trouble for talking back!" Donald said.

"Now, Donald, why don't you and Beth go mingle with your friends?" Abraxus coaxed, and the two of them wandered off in different ways. "Children are so precocious these days, aren't they?"

"That's not what I'd call it," Thomas said.

"And what might that be?" Abraxus said casually, but there was a glint of wariness in his eyes.

"I'd call it something like, 'How to Raise a Criminal in Seventeen Years or Less,'" Thomas decided. "He'll be in jail before he's twenty."

"I beg your pardon?" Abraxus said, taken aback.

"Beg all you like, you won't get it," Thomas shrugged.

"There is nothing wrong with my children," Abraxus snapped angrily. "At least I don't treat my son like a miniature adult instead of a child like you do."

"I treat my son according to how he behaves," Thomas said. "If you did the same, you'd be putting yours in back in the crib."

"Craw, do you mind? I didn't come here to watch you get into another confrontation," Draco said tiredly. "If I wanted to do that, all I'd have to do is drop by your office. Abraxus, seriously, I'm glad your family is doing as well as you like, but what I'm really interested in is finding out who exactly has the nerve to run against me next year."

"Then perhaps we shouldn't keep you waiting any further," Abraxus agreed. "If you'll excuse me a moment?"

He turned and walked over to Norman, who seemed quite glad to see him. Within minutes of the two of them talking, a crowd began to gather, and Severus, Thomas and Draco found themselves quietly watching as a large group of wizards and witches began to gather, chattering excitedly amongst themselves for several minutes before they finally quieted down so dramatically that the rest of the room quieted down along with them, waiting for something to happen.

"Good evening. I hope everyone is having a pleasant time," Norman Balmweed said, getting some cordial responses in return. "I understand this is a busy night for some of you, who are planning to attend the Greencastle wedding tonight abroad. And I also know that many of you have been anxious to find out who the conservative committee has decided to endorse as our next candidate for Minister. So without further delay, I would like to introduce him, although I'm sure you all know him quite well already… a very old friend, from a very distinguished family in our community… Mr. Abraxus Coventry."

Severus, Thomas, and Draco all folded their arms as the rest of the room broke out in applause and exclamations of surprise. Abraxus stepped up and beamed at everyone warmly.

"Thank you, one and all! I am so very deeply honored to be here," Abraxus said. "And first, I'd like to thank the current Minister of Magic and my soon to be political opponent, Draco Malfoy; both for this excellent ball, and also for his brilliant service over the past decade. A great many reforms, especially to the justice system, have been accomplished under his leadership, and a great many other changes as well… to the point where you really can't seem to step into the Ministry even on a daily basis without something being different. But sometimes we are so busy fixing things that we lose sight of the big picture. And sometimes people are so eager for change that they are willing to overlook certain discrepancies in our government that perhaps they shouldn't." Draco squinted slightly. "So I believe that it is high time that the government needs to take time to pause and reflect on all these advances, and iron out any inefficiencies, as well as any officials directly or indirectly in control that may have overstepped their bounds. We the witch and wizard citizens of this country should have the right to demand accountability of any officials who fall short of their duties, and conduct popular votes of any change in the government that is going to affect their lives and livelihood. In short, I think it's time that this government got back to basics by taking the power away from the bureaucracy and putting it back into the hands of the people. I thank you."

Another round of applause went up, although Severus didn't miss the fact that most of his family members were simply shaking their heads and majority of the current Ministry staff eyed Abraxus with open dislike.

"What a buncha bull," Lucky snorted from where she sat with Maurice and his friends, Max, Cain, and Garvan.

"Did any of that actually mean anything?" Cain said in disgust.

"Not really," Maurice decided. "All he really said was that he thought the current administration had too much power and therefore could change what they liked without fear of anyone doing anything about it. But that's not true, really… the Council votes on most major changes, after all. He's simply telling people what they want to hear by advocating more control of the government, when what he actually means by that is they'd be better off if he was speaking for them instead of Draco."

"I really don't think I'm ever going to get the hang of politics," Cain decided. "Why don't people just say what they mean?"

"Because if they did, nobody would vote for them," Garvan Gamban said.

"A cynical opinion," Maurice decided. "But quite true, I'm afraid."

"It doesn't matter. I don't see Coventry having much of a chance against Malfoy," Lucky shrugged.

"He does have a great deal of money to throw around, though," Garvan ventured. "And considering Longbottom and Nelson seem to be standing on their side of the room, he won't even have to spend all of his own money to try and launch a campaign."

"There's more to politics than who has the most money," Lucky protested.

"Well, maybe, but it doesn't hurt to have it, either," Maurice said.

"So what are you picking up?" Corey asked in a low voice when he saw Aurelius staring fixedly at the other side of the room.

"Apparently Coventry's primary motive for running is to 'oust the Snape Dynasty,'" Aurelius said in a low voice.

"We're a dynasty? I've always wanted to be a dynasty," Corey said with amusement.

"He believes that Draco is too lenient on us when one of us gets into trouble and that Father should never have let back into the school after he left."

"That was up to the school board, not Draco," Corey murmured.

"They're under Father's thumb too, didn't you know? Any way, the point is his motives are purely based on his personal vendetta and not on any real policy. He's hiring some publicists to build him a platform to stand on, and Balmweed is acting as an advisor. Balmweed's motives to support him are purely political and thinks the Ministry needs to slow down on reform."

"What about Nelson?" Corey asked, and Aurelius shifted his gaze.

"Nelson just wants to get rid of Draco and Grandfather because they've been riding his back about his business deals and they keep asking a lot of nosy questions about his business arrangements with the late Will Conners," Aurelius snorted. "Nelson simply wants someone in there that isn't likely to bug him and he thinks Coventry is incompetent enough to let him do what he wants. And Amadeus is simply here because Nelson forced him into it, and is throwing his support on Nelson's recommendation."

"That definitely sounds like something the little slime ball would do," Corey said. "Still, even with all the money those three could muster, it can't possibly cover up just how phony Coventry really is, can it?"

"It can cover up quite a lot, from my experience," Aurelius said dryly. "But that wasn't really what I was looking for. I probably could have guessed the reasons without trying to read them. I was more interested in if any of them had anything to do with those 'accidental deaths.'" Corey glanced across the room.

"Well, I doubt Coventry himself has committed any crimes, short of extremely bad parenting and taking advantage of being born wealthy and having a name," Corey mused.

"He is simply a convenient idiot," Aurelius agreed.

"Amadeus doesn't have the brains to pull off anything this cleanly, but Nelson is another story. If anyone over there knows anything about this at all, it's going to be him," Corey concluded.

"Well, either he doesn't know anything, or he just isn't thinking about it," Aurelius said.

"That is a rather high possibility, considering what's at the forefront right now, isn't it?" Corey asked, and Aurelius nodded. Corey smiled mischievously. "You know, I think it's time I went over and paid my respects to the new candidate then."

"What are you going to do?" Aurelius squinted, gazing at him searchingly.

"If I get thrown out, let Mom and Dad know I'll meet them at the wedding," Corey said and got up. Aurelius soon followed behind him, more to get a better view than for any other reason.

It was impossible for them to have gone unnoticed, for even in the noisy room, a low growl rippled through as the two of them approached, causing many of the people standing nearby to look up to try and discern where it came from. Nelson squinted at them suspiciously, but Corey seemed focused on Abraxus rather than who else was nearby, offering him a hand.

"Congratulations on your recent candidacy, Mr. Coventry," Corey said cordially.

"Thank you, Mr. Willowby. It's nice to know that some of the current Minister's supporters have some manners," Abraxus said.

"Well, I wouldn't call myself a Draco supporter, Mr. Coventry. I simply haven't seen any candidates yet that have anything better to offer," Corey shrugged. "What I'm really interested in is seeing some of the import taxes lifted on exotics. I hate having to pass some of those prices on to my customers when I know where those items are grown they are paying nearly half what I am for them."

"Import taxes are in place to encourage citizens to buy from local markets, Mr. Willowby," Norman put in.

"Yes, and I am all in favor of that," Corey assured him. "But there are a lot of components and herbs we cannot produce locally and only come from certain parts of the world. If you gave a break on those specific items as well as lowered the export tax of some of the items that can only be grown here, we would do a lot more trade in both directions. And more importantly, it would get medicine in the hands of who need it instead of simply letting them sitting in bags on store shelves until the potency starts to wane, not to mention the amount of stock that has to be thrown out altogether."

"Very well, I suppose you do have a point," Norman decided. He glanced at Abraxus, who brightened.

"We will certainly have to look into that then. Perhaps you can send along a list of the some of the exotics you've mentioned to give our research team a head start?" Abraxus suggested.

"I will, thank you," Corey agreed with a smile. "Would you mind if I asked you one other thing?"

"Of course not, go right ahead," Abraxus said enthusiastically.

"What are your thoughts on justice reform?" Corey asked. Amadeus and Nelson squinted.

"Oh… I am all in favor of justice reform," Abraxus agreed emphatically.

"That's good, because my family is getting rather tired of Draco's unwillingness to look into the details of all the accidents my mother has been having, not to mention the other deaths linked to that monkey paw," Corey said.

"Oh, the curse, yes, I've heard all about that. I've been keeping up on the papers, you know, but I don't see what the Ministry has to do with that," Abraxus said.

"We don't think there is a curse, Mr. Coventry, and we'd like the Ministry to double check the recent accidents to find out who is behind it…"

"Which, conveniently enough, would fall into Craw's hands, who is responsible for taking that paw out of that mine in the first place," Abraxus said coolly. "Mr. Willowby, I have no problem whatsoever of looking into this matter of imports for you. You made some very fine points and it was a reasonable request. But I will make one thing perfectly clear. The current Ministry might cater to the whims of the Snape family, but I will not, nor will I turn my back when your family tries to use the excuse of 'nobody else was doing anything about it' to do whatever you like. If I have one issue in this campaign, it is that everyone be accountable for their own decisions… most especially you Willowbys, Craws, and Snapes. It is high time that someone stepped in and put you in your place."

"I see. And you think you're going to be able to do that," Corey said with a thin smile of amusement that only made Abraxus angrier. "If you get elected, of course."

"If I get elected, you can be assured that it'll be the first thing I do," Abraxus said vehemently. Corey bowed cordially and with intentional flair, just as he had often done in his Athos guise. It was obvious as he turned that Nelson hadn't missed it, and Corey felt eyes on his back as he and Aurelius walked back over to the other side of the room.

"So?" Corey asked in a low voice.

"Nothing," Aurelius sighed. Corey nodded thoughtfully. "But they would act against us if they could."

"Of that I have no doubt," Corey said dryly, but then stopped short when Severus stepped in front of them, looking between them suspiciously.

"And just what exactly are the two of you up to?" Severus asked in a low accusing voice.

"I was getting his opinion on import taxes on alchemy components," Corey said innocently. Severus squinted and glanced towards Aurelius who nodded solemnly in confirmation.

"Hm. Well, we're leaving soon. I think I've had all I can take of politics for one night," Severus said grumpily. Aurelius nodded again in agreement and they watched as Severus wandered off to find Jennifer.

"He didn't buy it, did he?" Corey murmured with an amused expression.

"Of course not," Aurelius said as the two of them walked over to join the others. "It's about as unlikely as being able to escape politics by going to this wedding." Corey nodded in agreement.

Black and white satin ribbons were braided together and hung down from the dome of the research center on all sides, tied off with large bows. A tent made from heavy furs and leathers draped out from the building, giving people a place to land with some limited protection from the cold.

Curiously, Laura and Lindsay unfolded the flap and peeked outside, but wasted no time closing it again.

"I wouldn't go out there without a couple layers of coats and a good protection charm if I were you, girls," Sirius chuckled at them. "It's about negative forty out there today."

"And probably only when the wind is still," Anna added, then noticed her brother Apparating in and walked over with a smile. "There you are! What kept you? I thought you'd be in and out of that ball in record time."

"I wanted to corner Eric about something. Let's go find Hermione, and I'll tell you all about it," Severus said in a low voice.

"We can try, at least, but she's a bit of a wreck at the moment. She's been trying to over-organize everything," Anna warned with a grin.

"Why am I not surprised?" Severus said, the two of them walking off together, while Lucky joined Lindsay and Laura as they tried to coax Sirius into letting them go outside, while Jennifer and the rest made their way to the low entrance, ducking to get inside.

"This is one of those occasions I really don't like being tall," Andrew joked as they made their way through.

"Don't worry, it opens up just ahead," Alex assured them, and then stepped into the huge dome, which was currently packed with people.

What little furniture there was had been tucked away for the evening, along with every piece of equipment that had been save enough for them to move. Even then, Aurelius was quite sure that some charms had been placed on the oversized igloo to make certain everyone had room enough to stand; for during his brief visit there after Alicia had been kidnapped, the research center had looked much smaller. Had it really been three years since that happened, Aurelius mused, glancing over to where Alicia sat with Michael on her lap, listening to Ben, who she had taken there by painting a few minutes before. It was very strange; in so many ways, life seemed to be at a standstill with his nieces' and nephews' rapid growth the only indication that time was passing at all. But he knew now that was an illusion, for now Pali was gone as well, and he found himself soon getting lost in the crowded room. He watched as friends and family passed without comment, feeling rather numb and invisible.

"Hey, Rel," Ginger said, coming up beside him. "You all right? You look a bit pale."

"It's just the crowd," Aurelius said with a shrug.

"Yeah, I hear you, it is a bit close in here," she agreed. "I really hate weddings. I find them almost as depressing as funerals."

"Then why come?" Aurelius asked. Ginger shrugged.

"Percy invited a bunch of us from the Ministry up, and it seemed like a good excuse to get out of having to go up to Durmstrang and listen to my mother and grandmother argue all night," she admitted with a chuckle. "I hate the holidays. I always find myself hoping something dastardly comes up so I have an excuse to go back to work."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Aurelius admitted, and Ginger grinned at him.

"Oh, there's Halbert… how in the blazes did he get through that door? Anyhow, I haven't seen him in ages, so I'd better go say hello," she said.

Aurelius watched as she made her way through the crowd, and then happened to notice Andrew standing besides Halbert. Squinting, Aurelius decided to follow along behind her.

"Ginger! Is that really you?" Halbert said cheerfully, taking her hand and kissing it. "I haven't seen you in ages, but you look as beautiful as ever!"

"She sure does," Andrew said with a smile of his own.

"Thank you, Halbert, I really appreciate that. I don't get many sincere complements," Ginger said. Andrew's smile waned.

"I do not believe that, Ginger, not for one moment. You are even prettier than you were in school, and I had such a terrible crush on you then! But Andrew always seemed to have a way with women that I did not have," Halbert chuckled, wondering why Andrew's smile looked rather plastered.

"Are you seeing anyone now?" Ginger inquired politely.

"I have a good friend I met while I was studying Yeti at the reserve who I have been corresponding with," Halbert admitted, while Andrew looked genuinely surprised. "We are just friends now, but I would like it to be more, if I can ever find a way to approach her."

"Just be honest with her, Halbert, really, that's always the best approach," Ginger said. "Besides, it sounds like you already have something in common, and a girl doesn't tend to write back unless she's interested."

"But what if I ask her and she says no?" Halbert said with exasperation.

"You could try asking me for advice," Andrew said, more than a little annoyed that his best friend was bringing all of this up now.

"If she says no, the best thing you can do is be a gentleman and take no for an answer," Ginger said. Andrew blinked again. "There will always be another chance to find someone else; self respect is a bit harder to come by." Halbert nodded somberly at that. "But honestly, I don't think she's going to say no."

"_Merci,_ Ginger. I hope you are right," Halbert said, beaming at her.

"Yeah, me too," Ginger said with a smile, before wandering up to find a seat.

"Why is it that she always has to make every conversation about me?" Andrew grumbled. Halbert stared at him in confusion, having no idea what he was talking about.

"It's you that always makes every conversation about you," Aurelius said bluntly. Andrew glowered at him, while Halbert looked over in surprise, for he hadn't noticed Aurelius standing there before.

"Aurelius, I see you are doing better! I heard that you were ill. And I'm terribly sorry to hear about Pali," Halbert said sincerely. Aurelius looked over towards him with a fixed gaze. "If there is anything myself or my family can do, you will let us know, _oui?" _

"How about finding a muzzle that fits my brother? It may help him keep his foot out of his mouth," Aurelius suggested before deciding to find a place near Harry and Ginny.

"He was just joking, of course," Halbert said in a low voice, when he caught the expression on Andrew's face. "He was joking, wasn't he?"

"Come on, lets go stand in the back," Andrew said, and Halbert immediately agreed and followed behind him.

It was Jacob's mother Satinka, dressed in a Native American dress and colorful jewelry, who stepped up to do the ceremony, while Newton (who had already adopted Inuit garb during their short visit north) sat in the front row next to Arthur and Molly. Next to Molly, Hermione was busy biting off all her nails, while Ron seemed quite resigned about the whole thing as he attempted to figure out who he was going to get to take over Joanie's column on the paper when she left to join the Peppermint Post.

Ginger sighed silently to herself, wondering if coming was such a great idea after all. She felt like an outsider, short of the office crew that had come along mostly for the reception, and was wondering if she wouldn't have been better off going to visit her mother. Suddenly she felt eyes on her and turned around as casually as she could, but couldn't tell where the sensation was coming from. She turned back around again, watching as Joanie, grinning as if she had won the Wizard Weekly sweepstakes, slipped a ring on Jacob's finger. Joanie then leaned over and whispered something inaudible in Jacobs ear, and whatever it was had an immediate reaction as he grabbed hold of her and kissed her, the applause that followed drowning out whatever his response was.

"Come on, let's sneak off and get to the reception early," Otto suggested from where he sat in the row behind her.

"Where is it?" she asked.

"Ballroom at the Jingle Bell Inn," said Fred Weasley, sitting two seats away.

"We went there early and spiked the eggnog," George explained.

"Well, I'm all for that, let's go," Ginger said, several others getting up and slipping out the back with them. But they only had time to grab some of the larger tankards on the table and fill them to the rim with eggnog that the majority of the wedding party arrived, quickly finding a table.

"Now this is more my idea of a Yule party," Otto said appreciatively after taking a healthy gulp out of the eggnog. "Definitely better than going to that silly ball, at least."

"It even comes with Christmas Elves," Fred said, thumbing over at one of the Polar Elves going around with a tray of gingerbread, petit fours, and candy-cane sprinkled tarts. "Do you see the size of those shoes?"

"Well, you know what they say about big feet an' all. No wonder there are so many of them," George put in.

"I think it's just the shoes," Fred decided. "I wonder if there's a market for joke products up here? They must have a decent sense of humor to put up with that sort of clothing."

"Oh, no. Don't you ever two grow up?" Percy scowled, coming up behind them.

"I tried that once," Fred said solemnly. "But it wasn't much fun."

"Besides, we're talking business. What's more grown up than business?" George said.

"Careful, Percy," Otto warned with a grin. "Don't forget what happened the last time you suggested they keep the conversation to the weather and everyone's health. They started a two hour conversation of the relative wind properties of eating beans… and the conversation began right before a charity dinner."

"The whole dinner would have been boring otherwise!" Fred protested.

"I thought it was more charitable to liven that dreary business up a bit, myself," George decided, and Ginger found herself wondering exactly what they had put in the eggnog and decided to grab her drinks from the children's table for the rest of the evening. "Wow, would you look at the size of that cake!" George said appreciatively as the Polar Elves wheeled in a humongous five-layered cake with whip cream icing dotted with licorice cauldrons on the top of each one in a checkerboard pattern. Instead of traditional wizard and wife figurines at the top were a black king and a white queen from a chess set.

"Sweet! Let's go get some cake," Fred decided. "At least check the icing… you know, to make sure it isn't poisoned or anything."

"Don't you dare touch that cake, Fred!" Hermione snapped when she saw him start to stalk it. "It isn't time for that yet! She has to cast the bouquet spell first."

"Since when is there a particular order to how things need to be done?" George asked.

"Since it's my daughter's wedding," Hermione said curtly. "If you want things in a different order, you'll have to wait until you get married."

"Not me, no way no how. Weddings may be fun and all, but marriage definitely isn't from what I've seen of it," George said.

"Then you'd better be careful, dear brother, because our niece is about to cast the bouquet spell and throw that thing, and you know whoever catches it is the one that gets married next," Fred taunted him.

"I've got an idea," George said. "Let's just stand in front of her when she throws it. She's required to throw it over her shoulder, right? So if we're standing in front of her, there's no way either of us is going to catch it."

"Brilliant idea, George! Anyone else coming?" Fred asked.

"I'm already married," Otto chuckled.

"Well, I'm going," Ginger decided.

"Destined to be an old maid, are you?" Fred teased.

"Actually, I wouldn't mind being married someday, but I'll be damned if I want to catch that thing in front of Andrew Snape. He'd be on me in a second!" Ginger said, the twins laughing at her as they walked towards where everyone else was standing.

"Poor Ginger, still cursed by Snapes after all these years," George teased.

"Unfortunately, yes," Ginger agreed, the twins laughing again as they pushed their way through the crowd as Joanie sat their chatting with Jamie and her other brides maids.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" Molly asked with her hands on her hips when the two of them mockingly excused themselves through and escorted Ginger behind Joanie.

"We are getting out of the line of fire, of course," George said.

"And safely out of the line of fire," Fred agreed.

"Just for that, I should simply turn around and throw it the other way," Joanie challenged them.

"Oh, don't do that," Ginger said.

"Yes, don't even be tempted, for Ginger's sake at least if not ours," Fred agreed. "Besides, it wouldn't be fair to everyone who actually wants the catch the wretched thing."

Joanie sighed and looked around to see Connie, Helena, Lindsay and Laura all pouting at her and holding their hands out, while Lucky had her hands in her pockets.

"Oh, all right!" Joanie said with exasperation, and began reciting the words while behind her everyone was moving either to get farther away or to get a better position as she finished the spell.

Determined to hit far in the back of the room where the wallflowers were hiding, Joanie threw it up hard, but unintentionally towards the ceiling instead of behind her as she intended for it to go. It smacked up against it and ricocheted off in the opposite direction, and Ginger, who was just trying to keep it from landing on her, caught it in one hand. Her groan was quickly drown out by laughter as the twins took turns congratulating her over and over again and asking her who the lucky guy was and daring each other to propose to her.

"Why, Andrew," Halbert said in surprise where he and his best friend stood in the far back corner of the room. "I did not know you were even ready to settle down yet!"

"I didn't know either," Andrew said in shock. "But I've never ever seen her go out with anyone else. Let's wait until they start queuing up for cake and then try to corner her."

"Perhaps you should just try asking her to dance," Halbert suggested.

"I want to see if she's going out with anyone first," Andrew said irritably.

"Why? Are you jealous?" Halbert asked thoughtfully.

"Jealous? No, me… no, of course not, our relationship was always both ways, you know, even when we were going out, she could have seen someone else," Andrew said.

"True, I have heard you say that," Halbert agreed. "But I have never seen her with anyone else, all the same."

"Which means that either she's seeing someone right now she hasn't told me about, or it's me," Andrew reasoned, and then noticed everyone had started clapping as Joanie and Jacob cut the cake. "Come on, let's go find out."

Aurelius, who had been studying his brother from the moment the bouquet was caught, rolled his eyes and shook his head as Andrew and Halbert began to move forward.

"Something wrong, Rel?" Harry asked when he saw the expression on his face.

"Think anyone would care if I threw my brother out?" Aurelius asked.

"Not if he deserved it, and I have a feeling he's going to deserve it," Harry admitted when he saw where Andrew was heading. Aurelius nodded to him then went into the crowd just as Andrew and Halbert stepped into the line behind George. He tried to peer around him, but every time he did, George moved to block his view.

"Ginger, after we get our cake, can I talk to you for a moment?" Andrew asked.

"She's busy," George said.

"Did you have an appointment?" Fred asked from right in front of Ginger.

"Yes, that's real funny, guys. Honestly, I just want to talk to you for a moment, then I'll leave you alone for the rest of the evening if that's what you like," Andrew said.

"Why don't we just cut to the chase and you just leave me the hell alone, Andrew?" Ginger said.

"Besides, it won't do you any good, you know. You're too late," George said.

"Yes, we've worked it all out," Fred agreed. "She's going to marry us."

"Yes, she's going to marry me this year, and then next year, we'll divorce, and Fred can have her the second year," George explained. "And then after that, we'll just switch off again."

"I thought I was going to get to marry her first," Fred complained.

"I'm just going to break her in for you, dear brother," George said smoothly.

"Unfortunately, I think I'm already broken in," Ginger muttered.

"Yes, but not by us… you really need to learn how to laugh. You're much too serious for us, you know, so we'll need to work on that," George said.

"That's true, we like girls who like to have a lot of laughs," Fred agreed.

"Proof positive that it would never work," Andrew said dryly. "She is definitely too serious for either of you."

"Do you even know what that word even means?" George challenged him. "I don't think you know how to be serious either, especially about girls."

"And they keep telling us to grow up," Fred snorted.

"Fine, I'll find you when you've extracted yourself from the jeering committee, Ginger." Andrew said.

"I'm not going anywhere. Are you, Fred?" George asked.

"Not the way this line is moving, I'm certainly not," Fred agreed.

Just then, Andrew felt a hand pulling on his arm and looked around to see Aurelius standing there, staring at him fixedly.

"Come on," Aurelius said.

"Come on what?" Andrew said, trying to shrug away.

"You are embarrassing Ginger and embarrassing our family. So why don't you just stop acting like an ass and leave the girl alone?" Aurelius said.

"I don't think he's acting," Ginger said, the twins snickering at that.

"You are the one making a scene, Rel. And I can talk to whoever I like," Andrew said evenly.

"Fine. You can talk to whoever you like on the street then," Aurelius said.

"Ooo do I sense hostility?" Fred said, becoming more interested.

"It wouldn't be worth opening bets on," George decided. "Rel's a trained Auror after all."

"True, but some suckers might be willing to put money down on Andrew based on his height."

"What do you think then, ten to one that Aurelius can't get him out the door?"

"Stop, stop, stop. Forget it, I think I've had enough for one evening. I'm going to go find my hotel," Ginger said.

"You're not staying here?" Andrew asked with a frown.

"I'll go with you then," Aurelius interrupted.

"I'm more than capable of finding it on my own, Rel," Ginger said.

"I'm sure you are, but I've got a snoop chain on so I'll know if certain people attempt to follow us," Aurelius said.

"I wouldn't…."

"Fine, but let's go," Ginger said, having no intention of letting Andrew get a word in edgewise as she walked towards the door. Aurelius only paused long enough to say something to his father before following behind her. Severus nodded thoughtfully, then gazed so fixedly at Andrew that Andrew had little doubt that any attempt by him to try and go after them anyhow would not go unnoticed.

"I swear," Ginger growled when they paused to collect their coats. "I have never met a more selfish individual in all of my life!"

"I wouldn't go that far, but yes, he can be on occasion," Aurelius said calmly. "I think it's more that he can be a little nearsighted at times."

"Blind, you mean," Ginger said angrily, tossing on her coat and sitting down to put on some heavier shoes. Aurelius grew thoughtful.

"You know, what's funny is that when we were growing up, he was always considered the most sensible out of the four of us. He was always doing everything he could to keep the peace between us, and he had a way of calming Father and Mum down when they got mad at us… wise beyond his years and all that. Then he hit puberty and promptly lost his mind," Aurelius snorted.

"You can say that again," Ginger said, standing back up as she put on her gloves.

"Where are we going?" Aurelius asked, putting on his own gloves as he followed her out.

"Somewhere called the Reindeer Loft," Ginger said.

"Are you sure it isn't a barn?" Aurelius asked grimacing at the name.

"Jamie recommended it. She said it's not bad, and the rates are a bit cheaper," Ginger said. "Some of the others from the Ministry got rooms there as well. The cross streets are Holly Way and Santa Claus Lane."

"Oh, it's off the main street then, so it shouldn't be that hard to find," Aurelius said, turning towards the center of town.

"Well, thanks for walking me anyway," Ginger said. "Honestly, I should be able to handle it by now, but he gets me so mad every time he opens his mouth that I completely lose it."

"Actually, I think you've always done a damn good job putting him in his place. He just doesn't know when to take no for an answer," Aurelius said.

"You're telling me!" Ginger said with exasperation. But when Aurelius glanced at her, he noticed something different in her face than the anger that she had been feeling when she had stormed out of the reception.

"It's not your fault, you know," Aurelius said quietly.

"What isn't?" Ginger asked with a frown.

"That Andrew is the way he is," Aurelius sighed. "Andrew's fear of commitment has more to do with all the craziness we went through growing up. Nothing you did was responsible for that, trust me. You couldn't have done anything any different that would have made things turn out any better, and if there were any inadequacies at all, it was on Andrew's side of your part-time relationship, not on yours."

"You were picking my brain again, weren't you?" Ginger said accusingly.

"Sorry, I won't look at you," Aurelius said, pointedly glancing at one of the many market stalls instead. "But for the record, I do want to say that I thought that your leaving Andrew was one of the smartest things you've done, and I'm certainly not the only one who thinks so. It isn't as if it would have ever gone anywhere, you know."

"So you don't think… you don't think he'll ever change, then?" Ginger asked slowly.

"Actually, I think he will, someday," Aurelius said, glancing at her again. "Just not for you."

"That's why I like you, Rel, you always give your honest opinion," Ginger said sarcastically. "No matter how brutal."

"Well, maybe if you hear the truth now and again it'll remind you to not lie to yourself," Aurelius said. "Not that you're fully to blame for it; I blame our society. Most women I've met don't say what they're thinking, they're always trying to find something more appropriate to say, something that won't hurt anyone's feelings. In the process, it seems like after a while they start believing what they're saying instead of the truth. Personally, I think it causes a lot more hurt down the line if you go and sugarcoat everything to save someone's feelings now. I don't do it to hurt people, no matter what people might think. I do it because people need to hear it, just like you needed to hear that right now, Ginger. Don't let my brother's fears trick you into getting back into that messy situation you were in before. If being with you didn't change his ways before, it won't now, and you deserve a lot better than that."

"That's what you think," Ginger muttered.

"That's exactly what I think," Aurelius agreed. "Forget Andrew; it's about what you want that matters. Besides, I'm sick of every conversation we have when I step into that lab turning into a discussion about how asinine my brother can be, no matter how true it is. Maybe it's time you started dating again."

"Fat chance of that. All the good ones are already taken, at least they are at the Ministry. I'd rather be alone than end up with another dud."

"Finally you're talking some sense. You really need to stop selling yourself short," Aurelius agreed, and Ginger winced.

"Please, no references to being short."

"That isn't what I meant and you know it. Especially since you're practically the same height as I am. I meant the way you ended up settling for my brother because you felt like other than Halbert he was the only one interested in you."

"Would you please stop telling the truth?" Ginger pleaded with a laugh.

"Nope, not likely," then stopped and looked around, noticing they were close to the edge of town. "I think we must have past it. Back this way," he admitted.

"Fine, Mr. Know-it-all Truth Seeker," Ginger said, not put off at all by the change in direction. "If you know so much, then tell me exactly how I'm supposed to find someone else?"

"What? How would I know? I've never dated anyone in my entire life!" Aurelius protested. "I'm afraid you'll have to use your own judgment on that one, or at least find someone who actually knows. My friendship with Pali had always been more important to me. In fact, I'm quite sure that you have a lot more ideas on how to go about it than I would. You tell me," he challenged her.

"Well then, what do you prefer in a… potential… date?" Ginger stumbled. Aurelius rolled his eyes.

"I'm attracted to girls, thanks, and you may as well just say what you mean. I'm going to read it from your eyes anyhow," Aurelius said. Ginger grimaced sheepishly.

"Fine, then other than honesty, what would you want in a girlfriend?" she asked. Aurelius thought about it for a moment.

"One that doesn't flip out when I tell her I'm an Auror and how many hours I put in for table scraps," Aurelius said. Ginger couldn't help but laugh at that. "One hardy enough not to get worried sick every time I go out for a capture and yet can accept the reality that I might not come home one night." Ginger grew somber.

"I don't know all that many people who could handle that, other than Ginny Potter," Ginger admitted.

"Last I checked, she was taken," Aurelius said dryly, and Ginger grinned again. "And to be fair, not many could. If my father had been an Auror, my mother would have had a nervous breakdown years ago."

"Alright, so other than honesty and accepting what you do for a living?" Ginger pried.

"Other than that, I really don't know. I've only started thinking about it a couple of weeks ago, really, and since no one qualifies getting past the first two obstacles, why bother looking further?" Aurelius shrugged.

"Qualifies? You make it sound like you're taking job applications. Wanted: single witch for potential date with blatantly blunt Truth-Seeking Auror. Liars and cowards need not apply," Ginger said. Aurelius chuckled softly and shook his head.

"You're right, it was stupid of me to even think about it," he admitted.

"Wow, Rel, I don't think I've ever heard you laugh ever," Ginger said with an obvious look of surprise on her face.

"Forget it. I don't know how the conversation got turned on me anyhow, and honestly, considering I'll probably be a bachelor all my life, it's not even a productive topic. I just think you ought to be honest with yourself, Ginger. That's really all I've been trying to say… that and you deserve better," Aurelius said.

"Yeah," Ginger said distractedly. "Yeah, maybe you're right about that. But I don't think you're going to be a bachelor all your life, because I think you hate being alone as much as I do."

"Oh look, here it is, the Reindeer Loft. You'd better get in out of the cold, and I need to be getting back anyway," Aurelius said quickly. Ginger frowned at that but then slowly nodded in acceptance.

"Right. Probably a good plan," Ginger said. "Good night, Rel. Thanks for the honesty."

Aurelius nodded at her unsurely, watching her turn and step inside while he stood in the snow thinking about what he had seen in her face at the end. Neither of them had been honest in that last moment, he realized.

Suddenly he felt so bugged by that fact that he found himself running into the small hotel, spying her walking away from the desk on her way to the Door Lift. He dove across the lobby, startling a couple of Elf bellhops in the process, and stepped in front of the lift, putting his arm out in front of it just as Ginger was about to tell the lift operator her room number.

"Rel, what are you doing?" Ginger said in surprise when she saw the alarmed expression on his face.

"I… well, I forgot to ask you about something really important, actually," Aurelius said. "I'm sorry, but it couldn't wait. I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight if I don't."

"Oh… um..." Ginger glanced over at the curious Polar Elves before taking a cautious step away from the lift. Deciding it was safe now, Aurelius moved his arm away from the Doorlift and stepped over to her, still looking quite unsteady. "Okay, so what was it that you forgot to ask me, Rel?"

"Do you know how to play golf?" Aurelius asked with a serious expression on his face.


	29. Trial By Fire

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Trial By Fire

Dale tore off his earphones and cracked his neck, watching as Rick got up from the stool and tried to move around. In the booth, Dale's father was tapping his fingers in a rather irritating sort of fashion. Myrine said a something to him and he seemed to calm down again, but stuck a tongue out at her as she went to open the sound door.

"All right, boys, break time! Come on out for a bit so the crew can have some lunch," Myrine said.

"At least you don't make the pretense that we're going to get any lunch to speak of," Tango said grumpily.

"Then stop gaining weight," Myrine said primly. "We wouldn't have to restrict your diet at all if you didn't keep sneaking alcohol in your drinks."

"What are you talking about? I haven't had anything in months! Hey, where's my water bottle?" Tango asked, combing over the table while the others either shook their heads or ignored it all together.

"So what's our appearance tonight anyhow? I've lost track," Julian admitted, grabbing a Red Bull.

"Online Q and A," Myrine said, glancing at her chart. "We're just going to set up a room in the back for that, actually, we have five computers and webcams set up already."

"Thank god we don't have to go anywhere," Kid said.

"And don't you dare start opening up fifty private messages to your friends the moment you get on either, Kid...that goes for you too, Rick. Pay attention to the fans asking you questions, you know most of our mainstream sales are digital now. Maybe these little net chats will encourage them to buy it through us instead of trying to go around the company to get it," Myrine said.

"Fat chance of that," Rick snorted, but Myrine squinted at him. "Fine, I'll try to pay attention."

"And Kid, no going off the script when it comes to questions about Duffy Dakota. Her publicist isn't going to be here, and I really don't want to hear them threatening lawsuits again," Myrine warned, walking back towards the studio. "I'll be back in a few minutes, I'm going to go check the tracks."

"Man, I hate being dictated about what I can and can't say about that. Not that it's anybody else's business, but I don't think my life should be scripted. If she wasn't so hot, I think I'd ditch her on the basis that I didn't know I'd be dating her publicist as well," Kid complained.

"Better you than me," Dale chuckled, tapping some powdered drink mix into a bottle of water.

"Well, if you are going to ditch her, have the decency to wait until after our the summer tour is sold out so we don't get any backlash from it," Julian advised. "Besides, Bert would flip out again."

"No, all I'd have to do is get some 'mystery girl' to flatten me at the end, isn't that right, Dale?" Kid taunted him.

"You'd have to one-up it, though. I know... get the 'mystery girl' to hit Duffy this time," Tango suggested.

"Oh, cut it out, guys. You know how much I hate the media hounding Lucky like that, she's not used to it," Dale protested.

"Then you'd better give her a crash course in it, because she just hit the tabs again today," Julian said, pulling out a paper from beside the drink cart.

"Oh great, what now?" Dale said, putting down his drink and going over to the paper.

" 'Recent reports from New York have come out that Dale Chance's alleged girlfriend, Lucky Snape, is actually an American citizen instead of British as previously reported. Birth records have been found linking her with the name Fortuna Conejo, born in Long Island, and whose last name seems to have been the recent result of her adoption into a British family through the embassy. The embassy declined to comment, stating confidentiality reasons,'" Julian read.

"Damn it!" Dale said, grabbing the paper out of his hand before bursting in to where his mother was working, and thrusting the paper in front of her. It took her a moment to find it and read it, taking off the headphones.

"Bert, have you seen this?" Myrine said. Bert stood up from where he was leaning talking to the mixing artist and walked over.

"Hm? Oh, yes, that came out this morning, actually," Bert agreed distractedly.

"Well, you could have mentioned it to me," Myrine said irritably.

"I am sorry, Myrine. I was planning to, but with everything going on, I just forgot," Bert admitted and then went back to what he was doing.

"Am I the only one who sees this as a problem?" Dale asked.

"Give me a couple of minutes and I'll send an Owl to Jennifer, Dale. With any luck, she can get a hold of Vallid to make sure it doesn't go any further," Myrine said. Dale nodded unsurely.

"Maybe Lucky was right all along. Maybe this was a bad idea," Dale said, walking out of the room. Myrine looked after him thoughtfully for a moment, uncertain of what to say. With only a quick word to Bert, Myrine went to send off the Owl, having no idea that it was already too late.

* * *

It was nice to get back to the quiet of the Headmaster's Study after the Yule 'holiday.' Work seemed much preferable to the hectic Yule, and he was more than glad to return to paperwork for a few days, perhaps even get a second wind before Natalie's birthday party on Christmas Eve.

He was, in fact, in the midst of preparing his overview for the second half of the term for the board when a small grey owl flew in he recognized at once as Eric Dalance's, so he paused to accept the folded note and open it.

_To the Headmaster of Hogwarts ~ Abraxus Coventry has demanded an emergency meeting of the board of governors over the article in this morning's _Oracle_, a meeting which will be closed to everyone. Please be aware that a flurry of inquiries by parents have also been sent to us complicating the matter, and although I do not think Coventry will get the support he would like for this to be a full board decision, it is not likely the only avenue he will try.. Be wary, my friend, and no matter what it might occur, you, your daughter, and the rest of your family have my full support. ~Eric._

"What in blazes was that all about?" Severus said out loud, and then began sifting through the papers on his desk. "Steadfast, would you mind asking one of the school owls to go fetch me an _Oracle_ before you return?" The grey owl stretched one of his wings in an obliging manner before taking off. But a few minutes later Dodger appeared in the window with a paper of his own; a copy of the _Sun_, and he stared at the headline, _Troubled Past of Mystery Girl Revealed!_

Cursing softly to himself, Severus scanned the article, unsurprised to find that somehow they had gotten confirmation of the name from the welfare system, but that wasn't what he was concerned about. Then he saw it; the short but unquestionable mention that Lucky had been the lone survivor in a devastating fire of a 'suspicious nature.' Quickly he scribbled out a note to Jennifer and send Dodger back out, rereading Eric's letter over carefully. He knew before the _Oracle _arrived what it would read.

* * *

Dale and the rest of Second Chance had gotten up early that morning for makeup and a photo shoot, but at least that meant they would be able to rest their voices that morning. It was just as well, for Julian woke up sounding quite hoarse.

"You need to stop guzzling down all those high caffeine energy drinks," Myrine scolded him.

"How else are we expected to keep up?" Julian rasped.

"I know it's a rough schedule," Myrine said with a sigh, moving out of the way so that the makeup artist could get around her. "But it's almost Christmas, and then you can unwind for the day."

"Dear Father Christmas. Do you know what I would like the most for Christmas?" Kid said in a squeaky voice.

"Sleep," they all said at once, and then chuckled.

"They do have a point, Myrine," the makeup artist said. "The other boys have circles under their eyes this morning even deeper than Tango's... oh, and Tango's teeth need another one of your special fixes, ma'am," she added with a wink. Myrine frowned at him, checking to make sure the door was shut before pulling out her wand.

"You want to tell us exactly what else you're on?" Myrine asked him bluntly, the other four exchanging glances as she cast a cosmetic spell on his teeth.

"Nothing! Okay, so I take a drink now and then, fine, it's legal here, after all... and besides, the media is more concerned about Dale's love life these days than my drinking anyhow."

"Time to go on another bender, Tango," Dale suggested.

"Don't encourage him," Myrine scowled at her son. "Look. After the shoot, you boys have two hours to get ready before tonight's commitments, so how about I set you up with some rides to our condo and you can crash or just relax for a bit."

"That sounds great," Rick said enthusiastically.

"Then I know I can count on you guys to not clown around and get this thing done, right?" Myrine said with a thin smile.

"Yes, ma'am," Julian agreed, the promise of relief going a long way to improve morale among the five boys.

But the morale boost, it seemed, would be short lived, for as they were finishing up the morning session, Bert walked in with papers in hand, forcing a strained smile on his face that made Dale do a double take, wondering what was wrong.

"Ah, finishing up? Good! Dale, I need you right after for a press conference," he said, and everyone started to groan. "No no no, just Dale, the rest of you can relax."

"Me? Why just me? I thought we were doing all group stuff this week," Dale asked.

"Oh...um... well, this is a personal matter, actually. I'll be in the lobby when you're done," he said. Myrine frowned and glanced at her son, who had the same concerned expression on his face, before following her husband out.

Almost immediately an argument broke out between them. It was loud enough that the photographer decided to turn up his music to drown it out, but he had a very hard time getting the last couple of shots he wanted when it was obvious Dale wasn't paying attention anymore. At last he finished and Dale hurried out, not even bothering to change.

"What's going on?" Dale demanded when his parents immediately fell into silence.

"Um... first... Dale, there's something you really ought to know about Lucky," Bert began.

"Never mind what I know! What do they know?" Dale demanded.

"When they got a hold of her name, they must have done some sort of newspaper research," Myrine interrupted. "Because they found the original report printed in the newspaper about the stand off between Conejo and the police and the fire that followed, including a statement by one of the officers saying that it looked as if he 'spontaneously combusted.'"

"And they've dug up other old articles stating the suspicious nature of the fire, all the while downplaying the part that it was ruled 'accidental,'" Bert said with a sigh.

"What about our papers?" Dale demanded.

"They know," Myrine said evenly. "Apparently theirs came out with this story this morning too." Dale turned to rush out the door, Bert swiftly catching them.

"Don't go out there yet! There's an army of reporters out front!" Bert warned him.

"Then I'll Apparate! I'm going to see Lucky!" Dale snapped.

"They already know you're in here! It'd look suspicious, and besides, I already told them we would give them a statement," Bert admitted. "I've already written it out, all you have to do is read it. Once the initial damage control is done, then you can use the downtime to visit her if you like, just don't forget we have another appearance in a couple of hours. Come now, Dale, the sooner you get it over with, the sooner you can go."

"This is insane. There is no way they could have found this stuff out in twenty-four hours without help. I can't believe anyone would do this to her!" Dale said angrily. "And those vultures out there don't even care who they're hurting by following up on it!"

"I know, and I agree. This entire thing is out of control," Myrine said. "But right now you need to stay calm so that things don't get even worse."

"Fine. Dad, give me the statement so I can look it over before I get out there..."

"There's no time for that! Just read it!" Bert said, nudging him out towards a makeshift podium that had been set up just outside, a crowd of reporters all talking at once as he found himself stepping up to it and a paper shoved in his hand.

But there was no way that Dale had any intention of reciting any sort of statement without reading it first, ignoring his father's hisses of impatience as he scanned it. He wasn't surprised when it contained a complete denial that he never knew her. He had actually been expecting it; he knew his father well enough to know that he tended to take the extreme when he was forced on the defensive. But when he got to the part implying that Lucky was simply an overzealous fan that had been stalking him over time, his blood began to boil. It was then even as the press began to settle down that he realized he had had enough.

"I was actually given a statement to read, but I'm not going to insult either your or my own intelligence by reading it," Dale said. Bert tried to step up, but Myrine blocked him with a single hand. "Yes, it's true that Lucky Snape is a schoolmate of mine, but whether or not she's more than that isn't my place to say; it's hers. I don't believe in speaking for other people when they're not around, and I am also not going to comment on media allegations when she and her family aren't here to defend themselves. I will say that I am quite sick and tired of the media feeling they have the right to expose every nuance of my life and the lives of people around me, and I'm tired of my agent egging it on," he added, Bert blinking in surprise. "You want a real story? Fine. I'm quitting the band effective immediately. Find some other sap to take the heat for a change. Oh... and Dad... you're fired," he added, and turned around as the reporters burst out into questions and started taking pictures all at once.

"That's a breach of contract!" Bert sputtered out, too surprised to come up with a better argument.

"Sue me, Dad," Dale said curtly and walked back in, Disapparating the moment he was out of the media's sight.

Ben looked up as Lucky jumped up off the couch the moment it cut back to reporters, Aurelius getting up right after her.

"Where are you going?" Ben asked.

"I'm gonna go find Dale," Lucky said.

"Wait, Lucky. Let's find out what how Father wants to handle this first," Aurelius advised, but Lucky wasn't about to listen. She grabbed her coat and was halfway down the front steps when Dale Apparated in front of her. They stared at each other in surprise for a moment and then he hugged her, getting a slap on the shoulder for his effort.

"What, are you stupid? What were you thinking, leaving the band like that?" Lucky scowled at him.

"What? After what they did?" Dale said.

"The band didn't do it, the media did it!"

"My father had something to do with it too."

"Okay, him you can fire..."

Aurelius cleared his throat and the two of them looked up.

"Do you mind fighting inside? Our world knows about this too, you know. We might get visitors," Aurelius pointed out.

"Come on," Lucky said, pulling him inside.

"Lucky! Not in your room," Jennifer called out before Lucky had a chance to get farther than the entry hall. "If you need to talk in private, try the library. I'll have Mercy send up some drinks," she added.

"It's this way," Lucky said, leading him down the hall.

Dale got only a glimpse of the kitchen before she turned down the corridor and led him up the back stairs into the library. It was the first room since they entered the house that Dale actually got a real look at, and he couldn't help but think from the tall mahogany bookshelves to the red wall paper to the ornate rugs beneath their feet that it did seem to be very much like a room the Professor himself might want to relax in. Lucky grabbed all the pillows and tossed them on the ground next to the fireplace and then demanded that he tell her everything that happened, sitting on the floor across from him.

A few minutes later, a pair of cups and saucers appeared on the brick hearth, and the two of them grew quiet as they stared into their steaming cups of cider.

"You're right, Lucky. Maybe I shouldn't have blown up in front of the media like that, regardless of how mad I was. But at least my reaction is bound to get the Muggle media off your back."

"I don't care about any of that!" Lucky snapped. "I just didn't want to drag you down with me when all of this came out!"

"It shouldn't have come out at all!" Dale snapped back. "And it wouldn't have, had it not been for me." Lucky sighed and shook her head.

"I think it would have come out anyhow," Lucky said quietly. "Yeah, it might not have helped your being in the press already and all, but sooner or later, somebody would've found out and tried to turn it against the Professor. Nobody would have let me into Hogwarts, you know, if they had known about it. That's why the Professor took me as his ward in the first place, because none of the other schools wanted to take a chance that I'd get mad and blow up the school or something. I wish it would've waited another two years."

"Don't worry, Lucky. You know as well as I do that there is no way the Professor will let anyone take you out of that school as long as he's Headmaster," Dale said.

"It's not me I'm worried about," Lucky admitted, pulling her knees up to her chin while Dale rubbed her back comfortingly.

* * *

Norman Balmweed paused at the landing of the fourteenth floor, using the excuse to wait for Nelson to catch up to take a moment to dot his brows with his handkerchief.

"Really, why did the board pay for a Door Lift for this castle when the damned thing never wants to work?" Abraxus said irritably, waiting at the top of the fifteenth for the others. "I swear the thing is personally biased against me!"

"Knowing Snape, I wouldn't doubt it," Nelson said as he and Balmweed joined him. "Let him have his stall, Coventry. It isn't going to help him any, considering what we have to say."

Despite the apparent snub, the three men found the way to the spiral staircase open as well as the doors above it. Severus stood up as they came in, his black eyes immediately fixed on Nelson.

"What are you doing here? You know perfectly well that you are not permitted in this castle," Severus said crisply.

"I'm here on legitimate business, Snape," Nelson said curtly.

"I would not suffer to conduct any business with you, Nelson, legitimate or otherwise," Severus retorted.

"You already do conduct it, Severus, although you may not realize it yet," Abraxus said. "Byron is the principle stockholder and chairman of Coven River Insurance and Investments." Severus squinted.

"Isn't that one of your companies, Abraxus?" Severus asked flatly.

"As a matter of fact, it was one of my family's yes, but not one I've ever had much interested in. Nelson has been on the board for some time now, so I had no qualms with selling him my majority to free up some assets for the campaign," Abraxus said. Severus shifted his gaze towards Nelson again.

"You really are becoming more like your brother-in-law by the day, aren't you?" Severus said. A flash of intense anger crossed Nelson's eyes, but he forced a very unpleasant smile across his face.

"Lucius craved blood, vengeance and power, Snape. I crave only money," Nelson said through the plastered smile. "Consequently, I like to protect my investments, and I am very concerned right now about the risk my company is taking covering this school."

"I don't see how you're taking more risks now than any other year, especially considering that the insurance plan the board has been 'recommending' in recent years has more loopholes in it than a goblin contract," Severus said expressionlessly. "Such as writing off the lab explosion as 'faculty neglect.'"

"It isn't our fault that your Potion's Master doesn't take the time to put dangerous chemicals away properly, no. Of course, you do have full liability coverage, so if anyone had sued the school for the injuries after that incident, you would have been covered," Nelson said.

"Yes, that's very reassuring. Now, if you don't mind, would you get to the point? Because otherwise I have a lot of work to do," Severus said, sitting back down at his desk again.

"I believe you already know why we're here, Severus," Abraxus said solemnly. "You have been housing a Pyro at the school."

"Fire sensitive," Severus corrected with a sigh.

"I am not going to play the political correctness with you," Abraxus said curtly back. "I should have known something wasn't right when you went to such lengths to bring the girl here, and now it comes out that she murdered her entire family..."

"That may be the popular rumor, Abraxus, but may I remind you that it's only newspaper speculation? I can assure you that's not what happened, and although I admit Fortuna didn't have a perfect record when I brought her over, she has now been at Hogwarts for five years without incident," Severus said.

"Without incident? What of that odd fire that happened in your son's Defense classroom last year? Do you think we've forgotten that?' Abraxus said. "Your daughter was involved in that, as I recall."

"That was a private matter, Abraxus, and one that didn't involve any other students," Severus said.

"But the point is it very well could have!" Abraxus snapped. "You know perfectly well that girl has a temper, and if it got out of hand once, it can very well happen again! And considering how often she picks on my Donald, I think I have a right to be concerned!" Severus blinked.

"Do you actually believe what you're saying?" Severus asked incredulously.

"Severus, I'm afraid this time he has a point," Norman interrupted. "Ever since the _Oracle_ came out this morning, we've been getting Owl after Owl from worried parents who are simply horrified to hear there's a fire sensitive in the school with a questionable record. Some of them are even threatening to pull their children out until she's gone."

"Then they would have to wait two and a half years to return, because I have no intention of pulling Fortuna out of Hogwarts," Severus said evenly.

"That might get expensive," Nelson ventured. "Considering the risk to the school, it will have to be added to the policy."

"I don't see how her talents are any more or less dangerous than any of the others that go in and out of this school," Severus snapped. "You're not about to get me to change my mind by way of money in any case. I'll pick up the difference myself if I have to."

"It would be a lot better for everyone if you simply removed her from school and had her tutored, Severus, and I am not the only one who thinks so," Abraxus said, pulling out a paper. "This is a request from a majority of the board members that she be removed from the school at once."

"There are only seven names on this 'request,' Abraxus. You'll have to do better than that," Severus said.

"I can, actually, if you keep being obstinate," Abraxus said. "I can simply call a board hearing to have you reviewed for misconduct for sneaking in such a student in Hogwarts to begin with. You intentionally enrolled her knowing both the danger and her past record without informing the board, and in the process put the entire student body at risk. There will be a very thorough investigation in both your part of this and what you intentionally overlooked, and I expect we'll be calling on the American authorities to release any and all information they have on the girl. But if you don't mind being put under a magnifying glass, go right ahead and insist she stay."

"Attempt to move her from this school, Abraxus, and I will sue the board for discrimination based on magical talent," Severus warned. "And considering who my counselor is, I'd be very worried about taking that route, if I were you."

"You can't sue the board, Severus," Abraxus snorted. "It would go against your contract. It's not within your rights to do so..."

"It is within my rights as a parent!" Severus snapped.

"Not while you're Headmaster it isn't," Abraxus said.

"Easily remedied!" Severus said, going over to the desk and pulling out a parchment. "If resigning is what it's going to take to keep Fortuna here where she belongs, so be it!"

"Resigning?" Balmweed said with alarm. "You can't be serious!"

"He's bluffing, Norman, he wouldn't really quit," Abraxus said.

"I'm not quitting, I assure you. I've only just begun... I simply think it's time to change battlefields. I will not now nor will I ever allow the board to bully me into sacrificing the needs of _any_ student, let alone my daughter, for the board's own selfish pursuits. I refuse to play by your rules any further, and I refuse to allow you to pick at my daughter's past, which frankly isn't any of your businesses. Now, get out! And don't be surprised when the board gets served papers along with my resignation by tomorrow!" Severus snapped.

His face seemed strangely shadowed in a way that convinced Norman it was time to go. But the other two were still standing by the desk, staring warily at Severus as if attempting to discern whether or not he was serious.

"If you really think your threatening to resign is going to make a difference in this, Severus, you are making a mistake," Abraxus said evenly. "These idle threats of yours won't accomplish anything but land you out of a job."

"All I am doing is putting the needs of my child in front of my own, Abraxus, but that isn't something I expect either of you or Nelson to understand," Severus said.

"As you will, I suppose, although I don't think it's going to do you any good," Abraxus said with a shrug. "She will still be out of school come January if I have anything to say about it, and I assure you, Severus, if you resign, you will not be allowed to come back to Hogwarts as long as I'm on the board."

"What a very reassuring thought," Severus retorted, watching them as they went to join Balmweed by the Door Lift and went through it. After a quick look at the map to make sure they had left, Severus began going through his desk.


	30. An Extended Holiday

Chapter Thirty

An Extended Holiday

Jennifer was in the kitchen when she heard Janus announce his grandfather's presence, allowing Mercy to take over so she could step over to the living room. Severus walked in with a strangely thoughtful expression on his face and his hands in his cloak pockets. In a single glance, she knew what had happened.

"Badpa!" Janus declared, wriggling around in his mother's arms.

"Hello, Father. What are you doing here?" Alex asked curiously. "I thought you were back at the school."

"I resigned," Severus admitted.

"Again?" Alex said in surprise.

"This time for the right reasons," Severus said in a low voice, following Jennifer into the kitchen.

"You may want to be careful when you tell Lucky about this, Severus," Jennifer said quietly, setting a plate of springerle down on the counter in front of him. "She just spent almost two hours trying to convince Dale not to quit after he blew up at the media earlier today."

"Is he going back?" Severus asked.

"Yes, with some concessions, it would seem. When Myrine came to pick him up, he made it rather clear that if he came back, his father wouldn't be acting as his agent anymore. Myrine had no objections… apparently Bert was having a lot of trouble juggling being a father with his profession," Jennifer explained.

"I know the feeling," Severus said dryly, picking through the biscuits before finally selecting one. "Tell me, Jennifer, when exactly did I begin turning into Dumbledore? I rather don't remember doing it, and yet I find myself making decisions now that as a teacher I would have been protesting with the rest of them."

"You would have done the same for Lucky even as a teacher, Severus," Jennifer protested, handing him a coffee cup.

"As a father I would have. As a teacher, I most certainly would not have. I would have been right in Dumbledore's study reminding him of all the risks and every horror story I've ever heard of fire sensitives in general. I would have objected in every way I could think of, until he calmly reminded me of what happened in my own past when it was me who was nearly kept out of school for similar reasons," Severus said. Jennifer smiled knowingly at that. "I could say the same about some of my choices in staff over the years, especially John. The stink that Boulderdash gave me those first few weeks after I hired John would have been nothing compared to what I myself would have been throwing at Dumbledore for hiring him, and not just because of his former profession, either. I could also name at least a half a dozen instances where I went to battle with the board over something that as I teacher I would have sided with the board on."

"I don't think you've begun turning into Dumbledore, Severus," Jennifer chuckled. "I simply think you're becoming a better headmaster, that's all."

"I admit that ever since I added a few classes into my schedule, I really haven't minded the job so much," Severus mused. "How typical that I have to leave it now when it has finally started to grow on me."

"We'll simply have to find something else to do, that's all," Jennifer said. Severus stared at her.

"We?" he repeated.

"Well, you certainly don't expect me to stay when you're leaving, especially since we obviously have a battle on our hands. It'd be a conflict of interest. She's my daughter too, Severus," Jennifer said.

"Very well, you have a point. Although I hate leaving Hermione two staff short, not to mention having to fill in for us yet again this year…"

"Are you sure you resigned, Severus?" Jennifer asked softly, Severus grimacing in response. "Yes, I know. It isn't as if you wanted to. Well, we'll just have to find something else to do, I suppose. What do you think of becoming Aurors? I hear Harry's hiring."

"Not even remotely funny, Jennifer," Severus said curtly. Jennifer smiled apologetically at him in response. "I spent months when I left attempting to find another path for myself, and although I could think of a great many ways to earn money and 'make a living,' I really didn't find anything that truly seemed meaningful or anything that I would call progress in any of the choices presented to me. I'm an educator. No matter what else I may dabble in or commit to, it does not change the fact that that is what I am. All my goals in life lately, short of family matters, have been related to making that job better and making the school better and keeping up with the students' needs. I really don't want to do anything else."

"I highly doubt that will be a problem, Severus. There isn't a single magic school out there that wouldn't hire us. Or perhaps," she said, pausing with a mischievous smile. "Perhaps we could just start our own school."

"If I started my own school, the first thing I'd do is abolish the entire notion of having a governor's board," Severus said so fervently that Jennifer couldn't help but laugh.

"And what happens down the line if one of the headmasters turns out to be bad?" she challenged him.

"Then I'll simply give the professors the right to mutiny. I can't think of anything scarier than an entire faculty deciding to mutiny," Severus said. Jennifer grinned at him, and then noticed how many biscuits were already gone.

"Well, I suppose I should make some more of those if you're going to be home, shouldn't I?" Jennifer mused, pulling out a mixing bowl.

"I hope you plan to make extra. I feel an inevitable brooding period coming on," Severus said. Jennifer gazed at him sympathetically and began getting out the rest of the ingredients, hoping that keeping busy would help her keep her mind off of it.

It wasn't long after she had gotten everything set up that she heard the front door open and Andrew, Aurelius, and Lucky walked in.

"There you are. How was the shopping trip?" Jennifer asked, taking a bag from Andrew, while Andrew looked curiously at where his father sat going through the mail.

"Fine, until someone saw through Lucky's disguise and nearly caused an incident," Aurelius ventured.

"Thanks for not saying, 'I told you so,' Rel," Andrew said dryly.

"It wasn't that big of a deal," Lucky said. "I just pretended I didn't know any English, and they left me alone like they always do. I can handle it, really. Everybody's making a big deal out of nothing."

"And what exactly is it that you feel everyone is making a big deal about?" Severus asked.

"I figured you knew," Lucky shrugged, sitting down. "Why else would you be home?"

"Why indeed," Severus murmured. Aurelius caught the glance that Jennifer gave Severus and frowned at what he had read. "Jennifer, perhaps we ought to actually make use of the dinner bell tonight, so I don't have to tell this to everyone six times."

"Probably a good idea, although it would be a bit unusual considering Natalie's party is tomorrow."

"Perhaps the fact that it's unusual will get everyone curious enough to come. I think it's only fair they hear it from us rather than some outside source, and I'm sure there will be plenty of those soon enough," Severus said.

"Do you mean about what the papers have been saying about me?" Lucky asked.

"In part, although I have a feeling they've all already heard about that by now," Severus admitted. Lucky turned somber. "This has more to do with the fact that certain members of the board decided to express concern over your presence in Hogwarts and the safety of other students."

"If I'm the only thing they're worried about, they're even blinder than I thought they were. If I were them, I'd be more worried about Jackie's curse or that cloudy figure we keep seeing in the school," Lucky said angrily.

"She is not cursed, Fortuna…"

"I think the council's still out on that one," Jennifer put in. Severus gave her a dirty look, not missing the fact that this time she seemed more serious than she was joking.

"But if you are talking about the intentional accidents, I can say I quite agree with you," Severus continued. "Unfortunately, they seem a lot more concerned at the moment with finding ways to try and get around certain confidentiality laws to find out what really happened that night," he admitted. Lucky gazed at him stonily with a reserved expression that he hadn't seen in a while. "I believe I made it perfectly clear that wasn't going to happen, however, nor will they be able to remove you from the school no matter what they might threaten or tell the press. In fact, I've already contacted Vallid over the matter, and she is going to be sending along a request to the magistrate to allow you to stay in school before legal action is finalized. So if you were at all worried about not being allowed to go back, you needn't be."

"Alright," Lucky said carefully. "So if everything's okay, how come we need a family meeting?"

"Because I couldn't pursue legal action with the school while employed by the school; it would have been a breach of contract. I have therefore had to resign from the position," Severus said. Andrew let out a low whistle.

"What! Are you crazy?" Lucky shouted angrily. "First Dale, now you? I don't wanna go to Hogwarts if you're not there. I don't care what they do to me! Take it back!"

"It's too late for that, Lucky," Severus said quietly. "The school will manage without me, it has before, after all. And I am certainly not going to allow any of my students, let alone you, to be turned into a victim at the whim of the board."

"That doesn't matter! All that matters is you're not going to be there and it's all because of me! It's not Hogwarts anymore without Severus Snape in it! I'm dispensable!"

"No student is dispensable!" Severus snapped back. "And whether you like it or not, you are going back to school. You have worked too hard to quit now."

"So you're allowed to quit and I'm not?" Lucky challenged him.

"This is about a lot more than just you and I, Lucky. It's about what's appropriate and what's not, and it's about school integrity, and it's about student rights, and I'm certainly not going to sacrifice any of them to save my job. And although I may have had to step away, it was the intention of fighting this on an equal playing ground so they cannot use my position against us. But the only way that any of this fight is going to mean anything is if you get back on that train in January," Severus said firmly. "You are going back." Lucky clutched her fists furiously and then turned and stormed out, running up the front stairs.

"I'll talk to her," Aurelius offered, stepping out into the hall. Severus let out a soft sigh.

"She'll understand when she gets older, Severus," Jennifer said, returning to her baking.

"So what are we going to do now, then?" Andrew asked, looking between them.

"We are going to concentrate on taking care of your sister," Severus said. "While you return to the school and help Hermione in any way you can."

"What?" Andrew said in surprise, but then shook his head. "Not likely. I'm resigning too."

"I would feel better knowing you at least were at the school. We can't _all_ resign," Severus said. "Besides, you have your entire career ahead of you still…"

"Don't even try to go there, Father. I know that under normal circumstances the two of you probably wouldn't even think of leaving for another two hundred years or so, and I know perfectly well most of your retirement funds have been funneled into the school," Andrew said with amusement. "Besides, as much as I hate leaving Hermione in the lurch, it goes against both my teaching ethics and my family ethics to stay under the circumstances. An attack on one of us deserves a response from all in my opinion. Don't blame me, it's how I was raised," he added when he saw his father's rueful expression. Jennifer beamed proudly at him. "Do you mind if I send Aunt Anna an Owl? They don't hear the bell, but they really ought to be told about this first hand too."

"Don't you dare start encouraging her to quit as well," Severus scowled at him, waving a hand above the plate of springerle in a futile attempt at keeping Andrew from grabbing a few.

"I don't think I'll need to encourage her," Andrew admitted, walking over to desk in the living room to write the note.

Sure enough, after hearing the entire story that night at dinner and then later cornering her brother for specifics, Anna decided to turn in her resignation as well.

"In fact, I think I'm going to go see if Vallid needs me to do anything here," Anna decided. "Besides, it isn't as if we need the money. I just don't want Muggle Studies to turn into 'How to Screw in a Lightbulb' ever again."

"Perhaps you could use the extra time to try and get farther on editing your class work into a publishable book," Severus suggested.

"Perhaps I will," Anna agreed, but then sighed and shook her head. "You know, every time I feel like this society's making progress as far as tolerance is concerned, something like this happens. It reminds me of how they first treated me when they found out I had magic different than what they considered normal. Is she supposed to blow up the universe as well?"

"Just the school, apparently," Severus murmured softly, glancing into the front room where the majority of the family was gathered, talking. "And I'll be damned if they attempt to make her life an open book after what she's gone through to come to some sort of terms with it."

"Vallid will make sure they don't," Anna assured him. "You're right, though. You had no choice this time."

"Not any I would ever be willing to accept, no," Severus agreed. Anna nodded in understanding, following him into the archway leading into the living room and paused there to listen. Everyone else had pulled up chairs and couches or were sitting on the rug in front of the fireplace, just as they often did on the first of Yule.

"So they were going to throw you all out because you aced your OWLS?" Lucky asked Aurelius skeptically.

"And the fact they thought we were getting special treatment," Alex put in.

"We didn't know the whole story at the time," Aurelius explained. "But a lot of it was also because the board was deliberating on whether or not to support Dumbledore's choice of Father as the new Headmaster. Some of them were afraid that having children in the school would bias his opinion on certain matters. But then things started getting crazy what with Ciardoth and all, and it never came back up."

"Actually, they decided to drop the issue long before we knew what Ciardoth was up to," Jennifer said. "After Severus told them that we'd sooner quit than allow it… ironically enough."

"You see? You're not the only one who's been in this position," Alex told Lucky.

"Oh yeah? How would you feel if they really had quit back then?" Lucky challenged them.

"Relieved," said Alicia while Alex was still thinking about it, and Francis tsked at her. "I wasn't getting along with Father at that point," she explained.

"Well I wouldn't have been relieved. I don't think I'd have felt safe in that castle without Snape around, especially with everything that was going on back then," Aurelius said.

"No, I don't think I would have either," Andrew decided. "But then I never really felt like they could have gotten rid of Father, not with Dumbledore there."

"Dumbledore was always taking the heat for everything," Aurelius agreed. "And not only school matters, either. He mediated between us and our parents a time or two as well."

"Like when the big secret got out about what our abilities are. Remember that Christmas?" Alex said with a chuckle.

"Like it was yesterday," Aurelius agreed.

"I thought the roof of the Burrows was finally going to collapse when Dad blew his top about it," Corey agreed with a grin. "And there sat Dumbledore, taking it like a rock, until you four did the decent thing and finally owned up to it."

"What else could we do? As afraid as we were about what our parents would do when they found out about Alicia, we couldn't sit there and let the axe fall on Dumbledore," Andrew said.

"I remember when he walked into my aunt's house the day Essie got her letter, right before things came to blows between her and Dad," Corey said. "Somehow he managed to negotiate a peace treaty, though. And that was even after I… well, let's just say he did his fair share of covering my rear back then too, especially considering how many things I did that I probably should have gotten expelled for."

"Well, as much of a terror as you were, Corey, nothing you did was really ever meant to hurt anyone," Jennifer pointed out. "Your intentions had always been good, Dumbledore knew that. Seeing past the rules when it hinders the needs of a student is just part of being a good headmaster, no matter how much heat it might generate."

"So you're tryin' to tell me that his resignin' was just him trying to be a good headmaster?" Lucky said dubiously.

"Well, yes," Jennifer said with a smile. "And your brother, aunt and I resigned because we're family, and we don't abandon family when they're in trouble. We did it to support his decision as well as to protest their treatment of you, and nothing you say is going to change any of our minds on how we handled it."

"I don't want anyone to take any falls for me. I can take my own falls," Lucky said stubbornly.

"Back to square one," Andrew said with a sigh.

"I'm sure we would have felt guilty as well, had they resigned to keep us in school," Alex said.

"Maybe," Aurelius agreed. "Although I still wouldn't have felt guilty about acing my OWLS." Several couch pillows were thrown in his direction.

"At least you had each other to talk to about it," Lucky said.

"You have a lot of very close friends," Jennifer said. "Including Ambrose, Dale, Lindsay and all the other members of that order of yours."

"I don't like burdening Ambrose with this kind of stuff," Lucky protested. "I'm still mad at Dale, Lindsay and I don't have any of the same classes, and as for the rest… we still don't know where the leak came from."

"Quite true, I'm afraid," Lindsay said with a nod of support.

"Well, considering the bulk of it is all out now," Jennifer said in a dry tone, "you shouldn't feel quite so restricted about talking now that you have little to hide."

"With the revealing of secrets comes a sense of relief, no matter how bad the impact is at the time," Alex agreed. "But what are you going to do now, Mum?"

"Find a teaching job elsewhere, I suppose," Jennifer said unconcernedly. "Or perhaps we can start our own school. Andrew, what do you think?"

"I'm in for that," Andrew agreed with a grin.

"Oh no, not the starting our own school thing again," Severus said, finally stepping up and making his presence known.

"If you do it, I'm there," Anna agreed.

"Should I start scouting out land now?" Sirius chuckled at them. "I know, I'll sell you the back fields next to the farm. You could built it right in Hogwarts' backyard," he joked.

"I think it'd be more productive to open up a day school in London," Jennifer said, suddenly sounding a lot more serious, despite her smile. "I bet a lot of the parents around here would switch to ours if they could see their children at night."

"Can't you think of anything else to do besides teaching?" Lucky protested.

"I've wanted to be a teacher since I first set sight on Hogwarts," Andrew said with a shrug. "I never wanted to be anything else."

"I don't think I'd want to do anything other than teaching over the long term, although I admit I wouldn't mind working with item enchantments while we're waiting for things to shake out," Jennifer said. "Or perhaps it'd be a good time to try and talk someone into that other project of mine." Severus frowned at Jennifer disapprovingly. Sirius exchanged glances with Anna before a smile crept across his face.

"I say go for it," Sirius said.

"No one asked you," Severus snapped.

"What other project?" Corey asked curiously.

"Jennifer? The cease fire?" Severus reminded her.

"Well, perhaps it wouldn't hurt to get their opinion," Jennifer ventured.

"No. Change the subject," Severus said firmly. "You already know where I stand on it."

"What is it?!" Lucky shouted with frustration.

"I believe they're referring to the fact that Mum wants to try and have another baby," Aurelius confided to Lucky, but loud enough that everyone else heard him as well. Severus glared at him.

"Oh that. I don't have a problem with that," Lucky shrugged.

"Well, if you've found a way around Oat's Scythe, I say go for it," Corey said enthusiastically.

"NO!" shouted Andrew, Alicia, and Alex all at once. Aurelius gazed at them steadily, but didn't seem in a hurry to offer an opinion.

"Really, Mother, enough is enough. We have enough to worry about right now without you adding another problem," Andrew said.

"Mum, it's over, it's not your turn anymore. It's our turn to have children, not yours, and you're going to have enough grandchildren to have an army as it is," Alicia said.

"She's just reacting to being older," Alex decided. "Mum, really, don't you think it's time to drop this?"

"I'm not just reacting to being older," Jennifer said, trying to hide her disappointment at their response. "I just thought it'd be nice to have a child now that we're well away from the shadow of Voldemort and Lucius, and now that we're much more established and things are more secure than when we had the four of you."

"Except that you just quit your jobs, you mean," Alicia pointed out.

"Actually, that might be an advantage," Aurelius put in. "Especially if they're serious about the day school idea. There would be no weekend parenting, so maybe it'd work out."

"Right, like they wouldn't find something else to occupy their time with," Andrew snorted. "Changing jobs doesn't change them as parents, they would still only find time for a baby when it is 'convenient' for them."

"That's not fair, Andrew. They've always made time for us when we needed them," Corey said.

"Well of course you would think so," Alex said, shaking her head. "You only had to deal with them since you were Hogwarts age. You didn't have to deal with what it was like growing up, gone all the time. Even summers never went interrupted, they were always into some calamity or another that kept them away."

"Not to mention if they were around it was always because there was some emergency," Alicia said. "It was never about spending time with us. It was more like being rounded up like cows to shield us from whatever danger they brought down on us. And the moment the crisis was over, they were off again, while we were plopped into whatever arms happened to be there."

"Which is exactly why I don't think it'd stop now," Andrew agreed. "Honestly, Mum, it's bad enough you had to put us four through growing up a Snape, please have enough pity not to put another child through it."

Jennifer gazed at them stonily for a long time before finally turning without a word and going to her bedroom, slamming the door behind them.

"You guys really shouldn't have gone that far," Corey said, shaking his head at them.

"I agree, that was completely uncalled for," Anna snapped.

"If you ask me, they deserve to be spanked," Sirius put growled.

"Well, she did ask our opinion, and we know better than to lie about it," Alex said.

"Maybe we were a bit harsh, but it was about time she heard the truth, especially with the way she's been carrying on about it lately at the school. It's about time she woke up and dealt with reality, isn't that right, Father?" Andrew said.

It was at that point that everyone realized just how dangerously quiet Severus had gotten, staring at them with an expression of complete disgust.

"The only thing right about any of that was the fact that it was time for a reality check," Severus said at last. "Because the fact of the matter is that I hadn't realized until now just how utterly spoiled the four of you were." Severus turned around and strode to their rooms, cautiously opening the door before stepping in.

"He actually believes that, doesn't he?" Alicia said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Yeah. Because it's true," Aurelius said with folded arms, getting dirty looks from the other three.

"If I had been lucky enough to be born a Snape, I wouldn't have screwed it up," Lucky said. But despite the fact she was ready to fight off any comebacks from the others, no one decided to challenge her.

Severus stepped through the sitting room and knocked gently on the bedroom door before opening it, sighing softly when he saw Jennifer on the bed, crying softly.

"Jennifer?" Severus said quietly.

"You were right, Severus," Jennifer sobbed. "It was a foolish idea. I'm sorry that I didn't see it sooner."

"Just because I didn't agree doesn't mean it was foolish," Severus said.

"They thought it was foolish… and really, who would know better? All I had ever wanted was to have a family that had a better childhood than I had. All I wanted was for them not to resent being brought up as I've often resented my father, and I've obviously failed."

"It wasn't just you," Severus said quietly. "And regardless of they said, I really don't think we did all that bad of a job. They're just a bit ungrateful, is all."

"The entire world is ungrateful," Jennifer said angrily. "After all this time we've fought and sacrificed for our family… for everything we've done and everything we've done without for the needs of that school, and here we are, jobless and with a scornful family that learned our lessons of self pride all too well. It's like nothing we've ever done has mattered to anyone."

"Now you're starting to sound like me," Severus said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Or at least the why I sounded two years ago, just before I left."

"This is more than just a midlife crisis, Severus," Jennifer said irritably. "It has literally been one true crisis after another this year with no break in between. Something is always wrong, and our family is always wrapped up in it."

"Jennifer," Severus said in a much firmer tone, giving her back a nudge. "You are not cursed. Even if we're not having a stellar year let alone a happy holiday, I can guarantee you that many of the things that have happened even if you hadn't laid hands on that silly paw. Pali still would have died," he said in a lower voice, "whoever informed the press would have still done so, and Abraxus would still have behaved like an ass. So don't you dare start letting your imagination get away from you when you know perfectly well there was nothing on that paw that even remotely resembled a curse. The only curse on you is the one you received the day you married me. And I'm afraid there's no cure for that one."

"Oh, Severus!" Jennifer said, still sobbing but sitting up to hug him. Severus pulled her into his arms and held her against him, letting her cry herself out.

"It may not all that bad, you know… that empty nest thing," Severus mused. "In a few years when Fortuna is out on her own, you and I could start taking trips abroad like you've always wanted… we could take the boat out on extended vacations without having to worry out our other obligations."

"And like as not it'll just be like it was before Lucky came with you finding some project to work on all summer while I spend all my time chasing after my married children," Jennifer said knowingly.

"Well… we'll just have to tear ourselves away, that's all," Severus decided.

"I love you, Severus," Jennifer murmured.

"I've never doubted it," Severus said, kissing her gently. "Now why don't I go out there and tell everyone to go away so we can relax in peace? Well, the ones that don't live here, at any rate," he amended. Jennifer chuckled softly and nodded. "That's the other benefit to having them move out. Having the luxury of telling them to go away," he decided. Jennifer shook her head at him then laid back down, watching him slip out. She was fast asleep by the time he had returned.


	31. An Accursed Christmas

Chapter Thirty-One

An Accused Christmas

The next evening was Christmas Eve, and as usual plans were made to meet at the Willowby's for Natalie's party. Normally it was an event that Jennifer looked forward to, but after what happened the evening before, she dreaded the idea of having to sit through another family gathering and found herself wishing that Christmas was already over with. Not that she had anything to look forward too after that, she brooded, her mood turning as dark as Severus' own as she looked into the future and saw nothing of any consequence.

There was one part of the evening she was looking forward to so she concentrated on that as they arrived and got settled, a comforting mug of cinnamon tea warming her hands as Natalie went through her gifts. Many of them included things that would help her in school; but despite the unimpressed looks from the rest of her siblings, Natalie was quite delighted with them all.

"I do have one more gift for this evening," Severus said, the Willowby children glancing at him curiously. Behind them, Ambrose, Francis, and Jennifer were grinning widely. "Although it's actually a Christmas gift rather than a birthday gift and it's for all of you, your father agreed it'd be more appropriate if I gave it tonight." He brought out a somewhat heavy-looking rectangular package. "I do have one stipulation, however, and that this gift never leave the family. Charles the Third, would you care to open it for everyone?"

"I'm called Chuck now," Charles corrected him.

"You will _always_ be Charles the Third to me," Severus said, accentuating it in such a way that all the adults chuckled.

Charles took the package, immediately knowing by the feel of it that it was a book. Wondering excitedly if it was what he thought it was, he tore open the paper and stared at the blank burgundy leather cover before opening it.

"It's your storybook! Look, he found the storybook!" Charles said excitedly. "See, I _told_ you he didn't fake it! Sisters never listen!" he declared. Severus smiled sheepishly and the adults chuckled as the other children all gathered around the book, Hope and Natalie especially looking wide-eyed.

"I don't believe it! They really are all in here!" Hope gaped, reading the contents. "The Gingerbread Army, The Taming of the Carol Trolls, How a Mouse Saved Hogwarts, A City in the Sea... even the Magic Dancing Slippers is in here! I don't think I've heard that story in ages!"

"I remember that story now! It's the one with the cursed slippers that keeps the princess who wears them from ever getting married, isn't it?" Natalie said excitedly. Jennifer smiled enigmatically at Severus.

"I'm sorry it took so long to get it back to you," Severus said solemnly. "It was broken, after all, but I'm sure you'll find this copy in better order."

"I like it. The pictures don't go away after a few seconds like they did in the old one," Charles said, hugging the book despite his older sisters' attempts at coaxing it away from him.

"Oh no, there are pictures?" Corey groaned and then grinned. "You didn't warn me about that part."

"You had something to do with this, Corey?" Rose asked curiously.

"It was a joint effort," Severus explained. "Corey helped by recalling old stories I had long forgotten telling so I could sort through which ones to put in the book, while Ambrose actually wrote them out. Francis helped edit to check the reading level and also did all the illustrations."

"Hey, pass it around! I want to see it," Lindsay protested, and with a lot of coaxing and a stern warning from his parents, Charles reluctantly gave her the book. Sirius and Anna both couldn't help but look over her shoulder with interest as she paged through it, and as she passed it on to Maurice, Fleur and Thomas began doing the same thing.

"What a fantastic book, Severus! And such a wonderful thing to have given them; now they will always have a link to their childhood memories!" Fleur said with appreciation.

"The best part is each fairy tale was based on something that really happened," Ambrose said. "So it's preserving some family history too."

"Preserving family history would consist of telling it like it is," Thomas protested.

"Yes, we've done so much of that," Jennifer said under her breath.

"But I do admit this seems like an effective way of torturing people who are easily embarrassed by this sort of thing... Severus, why don't you read the Gingerbread Army for them tonight?" Thomas suggested, getting an enthusiastic response.

"Gee, thanks a lot, Grandfather," Corey said dryly as the Willowby children confiscated the book back and brought it over to Severus.

"I suppose there's no point stalling when this is inevitable," Severus said when Charles thrust the book at him. Even the adults were egging him on then, laughing at his exaggerated reluctance as he finally opened the book.

Thomas softly said a word to Fleur and slowly got up, working his way over to where Jennifer stood away from everyone else.

"You seem out of sorts tonight," Thomas murmured thoughtfully to his daughter.

"I have plenty of reasons to be, thank you," Jennifer said curtly.

"Yes, so I've been told. Not that I blame either of you for resigning, but personally I think the first thing I would have done was track down whoever created the scandal and put them out of their misery," Thomas decided.

"I seriously doubt you'd want to have to visit your son from behind Azkaban bars, Dad," Jennifer said.

"Who says I'd ever get caught?" Thomas said unconcernedly, ignoring the dirty look that crossed Jennifer's face. "Anyhow, if you need something to do, I could still use an items expert. The pay's fair, and it's interesting enough work that it'd keep you from getting bored. Besides, the hours are easy and you'll have plenty of time to kick your feet up when you do finally talk Severus into that cockamamie Muggle medicine thing to get pregnant again," he added with amusement. But despite his good intentions, Jennifer suddenly went as white as a sheet and stared at him angrily. "What? Too good to work for your old man?" he asked. Jennifer turned and stormed out the front door, leaving him standing in the entry hall, furrowing his brows in confusion.

"Why, Thomas!" Fleur said. "You promised you were going to behave tonight! You know what pressure she is under right now!" she scolded him.

"It wasn't me! I simply offered her a job," Thomas protested. "Maybe she just had some last minute shopping to do or something."

"Nobody is open this late on Christmas Eve," Fleur clucked at him, and when there was another round of laughter, she stepped back into the living room to see what was going on.

Down the street, Jennifer stopped long enough to kick the snow on her boots before stepping up to the door of a shop, reading the sign thoughtfully before coming in. The shop was quite empty; even the shelves looked unusually sparse in places, for most of the wooden toys that Toby had made in his spare time had long been claimed and even now sat under countless Christmas trees.

"Oh, good evening, Jennifer. Happy Christmas...or at least, it's nearly Christmas, at any rate," Toby amended. "But aren't you supposed to be at Natalie's party?"

"I suppose I should be, but I decided to take a walk. It was feeling rather close in there," Jennifer admitted, walking up to the counter to find a small tea set out at the far end. "Ashley told me you were working late tonight. Something about waiting for a customer?"

"Ah yes, they haven't been here yet, but I'm quite sure it'll be tonight," Toby said.

"Are you getting your future memory back?" Jennifer asked curiously.

"Not at all. I'm just making educated guesses," Toby admitted. "You see, something appeared in my shop that I haven't seen for ages, but when I saw it, I rather knew who was going to receive it. He hasn't been in yet, and I seriously doubt it appeared just now if it was going to collect dust for several months." Jennifer nodded thoughtfully. "I admit this little impairment of mine does get on my nerves at times, especially with everything that's going on and is still yet to come."

"What do you mean by that? Still yet to come?" Jennifer frowned.

"Well, to be honest, I consult Icarus from time to time... just for some hints, you understand," Toby explained.

"Understand yes, but I can't help but think it's a bit hypocritical of you to do so, Toby, considering how often you keep reminding us to live in the present," Jennifer said.

"Still beautiful, even when you're scolding," Toby said with a smile. Jennifer let out a short sigh of exasperation and sat down on the stool, taking the offered cup. "Even when living in the present, you rely on your experience... you memories, that is to say... to make decisions, do you not?"

"Yes, I suppose everyone does," Jennifer said thoughtfully.

"And you have had first hand experience how losing those memories can be quite debilitating," Toby said.

"True," Jennifer nodded.

"Well, Jennifer, that is what has happened to me, in a way. Losing memories of any kind is a loss in experience, and I feel quite helpless at times wondering if I'm making the right decisions. I often get the feeling if all my memories were in tact that I wouldn't always have made the same decisions that I am now, and therefore my decision-making skills in the present are being hindered."

"I suppose that depends on how you look at it," Jennifer decided. "I mean, just because you're making different decisions now doesn't mean they aren't the right ones. I know I made some decisions as Jackie I may not have as Jennifer, but in a way that was a really good thing, because I was able to open myself up to new experiences that way."

"Point taken," Toby said, tipping his teacup to her slightly. "That is quite true, even in my case, I think. But I also think we've gotten off the subject, because I don't think you would have left Natalie's party without a reason."

"Oh, Father said something and it hit an open wound. I just wanted to go somewhere that I didn't feel I was going to get attacked. If it wasn't bad enough that the world seems to have gone at war with the Snapes, all the sudden it feels as if they've all turned on me. Lately it feels like no matter what I do, I can't win. And what's worse, everyone I care about is being drawn into my no-win situation with me," Jennifer said.

"Now I understand. You came in here tonight because you're cursed," Toby said.

"Well yes... no... oh, stars, I really don't know anymore," Jennifer said, quite depressed. Toby smiled at her sympathetically before breaking out the honey jar.

"Jennifer, I understand very fully that you are having a rough year, just as fully as I understand it's far from over yet," Toby said. Jennifer looked up and stared at him.

"Did you really have to tell me that?" Jennifer asked flatly.

"It's meant as a bit of a warning, because it is likely to make my next piece of advice quite hard for you," Toby admitted, dribbling some honey into her tea. "Jennifer, the only curse on you at the moment is one that is self-inflicted. It has a powerful source; it is the power of your own negative thinking. A very nasty curse, really, and it's quick to gain strength and it'll get larger by the day if you let it. If you doubt its power, all you need to do is ask, 'what else can go wrong?' And I quite assure you something will be there to fill that answer. You have got to break out of that, Jennifer, if you ever want to get out of this nasty rut you're in. You have got to start rising above everything that is getting thrown at you right now. If you want to stop being the victim of the curse, you must first stop being the victim. If you simply fix your attitude and look at each setback as just another challenge to be conquered, you will feel a lot better about things; once you've gotten past them, you'll be readier to move on to the next. Stop cursing your life when something is thrown at you and roll up your sleeves and get to work fixing things! Pretty soon you'll feel like your back to yourself again, and this nasty little curse will shrivel up and go away on its own."

"So you're trying to tell me that this whole curse thing is only in my head?" Jennifer asked.

"The curse, yes, the problems in your life, no. Those are real, and need to be solved or at least come to terms with," Toby said. "All the harder to accomplish when you do nothing but kick yourself around until the next thing goes wrong. I've seen you in the past approach some heart wrenching problems with all the determination, strength and grace one could possibly muster. Time to be getting back to what your capable of and begin to start listening to yourself again."

"Perhaps you have a point," Jennifer sighed at last. "I admit I have been feeling a bit sorry for myself lately, but it's been one thing after another this year..."

"Jennifer, life, almost by definition, is one thing after another," Toby said with amusement. "Yes, one 'thing' may be bigger or traumatic than one 'another', but the process itself is an endless cycle of a changing universe. It's how you ride the waves that matter, really, and you have no choice but to go over them or through them if you want to continue your journey. Don't start drilling holes in the boat just because you hit a wave you don't like. You'll fair much better if you stay on course instead of staying below deck in a leaky boat."

"All right, Mr. Toby, I'll do my best," Jennifer chuckled. "But I must admit that I am getting quite seasick."

"Ah, that reminds me. This is for you," he said, pulling out a book. Jennifer rolled her eyes when she saw it was a book on Margaret Brown.

"Thanks. I think," she added with a mischievous grin. Just then, Halcyon let out a shrill whistle, and Toby looked up to see someone coming in the door. "Ah, here they come now. Please, stay and finish your tea first," he insisted when she moved to get up.

As she settled back in, she made the mistake of glancing around and had a terrible time keeping herself from groaning when Abraxus walked in with all three children in tow. But curiously enough, Abraxus walked in as if he didn't even see her. Perhaps it was because he was fussing with the children, she mused, until she smiled at the children and realized that Beth and Don simply kept on chatting, brushing off the snow and looking around as if they didn't see her.

"Michael, please stop dawdling and shut the door," Abraxus said distractedly. Mike, who was standing in the doorway expecting fireworks to break out, slowly closed the door and smiled timidly back at Professor Craw, who was smiling at him from where she sat drinking tea. Just then he noticed Mr. Toby put a finger to his nose and wink at him, and he cautiously stepped further in.

"Good evening, Mr. Coventry. Happy Christmas," Toby said cordially.

"That remains to be seen," Abraxus said irritably.

"Yes, so it does," Toby agreed, and Abraxus finally caught himself and smiled apologetically.

"My wife is in a rather frightful mood, and I would very much like to find her something to cheer her up. Your shop seems to be the only one still open in town."

"Yes, and it sounds like it's a good thing I'm open too. I can say from first hand experience now that there is nothing worse than having a wife in a frightful mood," Toby said sympathetically. "Please feel free to take your time looking around."

"Thank you very much," Abraxus said.

"Can we pick something out too, Father?" Beth asked hopefully, eyeing one of the shelves.

"Yes, yes... I doubt you'll find anything in here that's already under the tree," Abraxus said impatiently, putting coins in Don and Beth's hands.

Jennifer frowned, but Mike didn't seem bothered at all by it. In fact, he seemed quite distracted. A lovely sound was in the air that he couldn't quite place; soft and melodic. But he was quite sure it wasn't the music box that Beth had grabbed, for it wasn't a mechanical sound at all. It was more like the sound of soft bells in the distance.

"I seriously doubt I'll find anything in here. I've never found anything in here but junk," Don said distastefully, putting back a paddle he had thought at first was a Bludger Bat.

"I don't suppose you have any jewelry?" Abraxus said skeptically.

"Every now and again," Toby mused, looking around thoughtfully. "Does your wife really need another piece of jewelry? It seems rather impersonal, especially if you are at odds."

"I never said we were at odds," Abraxus said defensively. "I simply want to cheer her up and get her something nice."

"Perhaps if I knew more about her I could help. But I don't believe we've ever met," Toby mused.

"No, she never comes to Hogsmeade unless she absolutely has to. I don't suppose you have anything that might help her look younger?" Abraxus asked.

"Younger? No...that's rather the alchemist's business, not mine. He has those apples, you know..."

"Yes, she's tried those, and every over the counter potion and balm on the market... rather obsessed with it, really," Abraxus admitted.

"In that case, I would definitely not recommend another. It would probably me much more productive to simply compliment her on how she looks without the makeup?" Toby suggested. Abraxus furrowed his brows.

"Heavens, no. She's a fright without her makeup on," Abraxus said. Behind him, Don and Beth rolled their eyes, while Jennifer squinted at him. As much as she agreed with him that Regina was not a very pretty woman, to hear him say it was another thing entirely.

"What is that?" Mike said, tilting his head to one side, trying to focus out his father's voice and began walking down the aisles to find the source of the sound. He followed it over to the far wall near the counter to a shelf set about the same height of his nose. There he finally saw it; a set of cylindrical chimes made out of a silvery metal dangling from a frame of dark polished wood. He then looked towards the door, which was closed, and then noticed he didn't feel even a hint of a breeze in the shop. "What is causing them to chime?"

"Those are the chimes of the Danaan," Toby said quietly, and Mike looked up in surprise to find Toby leaning on the counter right beside him. "Do you know who the Danaan are?"

"Yes, we learned about them in school. They are one of the fae races which crossed over from the Otherworld once," Mike said.

"Yes, they crossed over to colonize, and to conquer, when necessary, the human villages surrounding the gates," Toby explained. "You see, not only were they hoping to branch out from their hills in Tir Na Nog, they believed that way they could start to get a handle on all of those pesky humans that kept haplessly falling into their lands. Humans at that time were quite primitive, and they were sure that they'd have no trouble herding them out off the islands that the portals within their lands lead to. Boy were they in for a shock," Toby chuckled. "At any rate, with them they brought memoirs of home, of course, and among them were these chimes. That's because on the top of Aepheri, their most sacred hill in their lands, there was constructed a large set of chimes set within a wooden frame like this but ten feet tall to capture the winds that often whistled across that peak. They have long believed that the sound of the wind there was the spirit of Aepheri herself, for she was buried below that hill, and the chimes were placed there in mourning to capture her song. To their delight, they found the sounds that came from the chimes quite soothing and gentle, and they took that to mean that she was at peace, and the wind was only meant to comfort them. So, they began making these small chimes to put at their children's bedsides to help them sleep, knowing that their greatest queen would watch over them. And some of them brought the chimes with them here as a reminder of home; for whenever the wind blows the chimes on the mountain, all the small chimes blow as well."

"So these are chiming because they're chiming in another world?" Mike asked. Toby nodded with a thin smile. "But how do you know all that?"

"He doesn't, stupid, he just made it up. Stop being so gullible," Don snorted at him.

"It's probably just charmed to randomly go off," Beth agreed.

"Mike, put that silly thing down and help us find a gift for your mother," Abraxus said. "Really, you've been quite impossible from the moment you've gotten home with all those strange notions you've picked up from that _other_ house. The first thing I do after the board chooses a new headmaster is to get you moved back to Slytherin where you belong."

"Yes father," Mike said dutifully, despite the fact he hadn't put down the chimes. Instead, he picked up a small box, glancing within. "What about this gold comb? Mother likes amethysts, and it'd be rather pretty with her blonde hair, don't you think?"

"Fine, that'll do. Let's just get going, I really would just rather get home," Abraxus said, taking the box from him and putting it on the counter.

"You're not actually going to buy that thing, are you?" Don said critically when he noticed his brother still had the chimes.

"I can buy what I like, I have the money Grandfather gave me," Mike said, quickly adding his coins to the jar before anyone could stop him.

"I hope you and your family have a very happy Christmas," Toby said with a smile, "And your wife as well, Mr. Coventry."

"And to you and yours, thank you," Abraxus said briskly, leading them out of the store.

"Well! I've done my good deed for the day," Toby said with a wink and began cleaning up.

"I'm so glad we're not the only ones concerned with Mike, Mr. Toby. He really needs all the comfort he can get right now," Jennifer said. "I wonder why he could see me when the others couldn't?"

"That's no wonder at all, actually. I played a bit of a mind game with them when they came in that basically compelled them to ignore the fact that you were there. Since Michael was already being ignored, it slid right off... the proverbial invisible child, as it were," Toby said.

"Poor Mike," Jennifer sighed. "I hope whoever takes over the school has the sense to leave him where he is."

As Toby was about to answer, the door burst open and Minerva rushed in, looking frantic.

"The back of Corey's shop is on fire!" Minerva shouted, and immediately they jumped up, Toby grabbing a pipe off the shelf before quickly darting out the door after the two of them. Corey, Severus, Thomas, Alex, Aurelius, Andrew and Alicia ran out of the house, while Ashley stayed back and kept the children from leaving the porch.

Jennifer Apparated ahead to help Rosemerta and several other shop owners cast their flame retardant spells on the fire as it began to lick onto the second floor.

"Are there are any firewalls?" Severus shouted after he and Corey did the same.

"Between the shop and the lab, yes, and in the stairwells," Corey said back. "Any thoughts to what that heat might do to Pensieves?" he added worriedly. Severus turned to stare at him horrified, having momentarily forgotten the vault in Corey's basement.

Toby hurried up and took a puff off the pipe, glancing at the flames thoughtfully.

"It's a natural fire, not magic," Toby shouted. "A strong group effort ought to put it out."

"Hands everyone!" Severus barked, quickly pulling a lineup together in the back of the shop and casting the Synchronization spell. As one the joint effort of the townsfolk and Corey's family blasted the shop full force with the extinguish charm, snuffing it out like a candle and leaving only billowing smoke in its wake. Corey immediately broke away, hurrying over to the building. "Wait, you fool! It's still blazing hot and it's going to be unstable!"

"I want make sure my memories are safe!" Corey argued, only partially aware of a heat protection charm hitting him from behind. Seeing there was no safe way in from the back, Corey hurried in from the front past a crowd of excited people. Aurelius and Sirius dove in after him, while Severus soon found himself forced to stand there and make sure that no one got in. A flash went off, and Severus realized it was Thomas sending up a flare.

"Is everyone all right?" Mrs. Mayfair asked worriedly.

"Yes, fine, no one was here, we were all at the house," Severus said.

"Including your youngest daughter, I hope," said a gypsy standing behind her. Severus turned and stared fixedly at him.

"Just what do you mean to infer by that, Oman?" Severus snarled with a dangerous flash in his eyes.

"When you have a firebug in the house, you have to expect a spark now and again," he shrugged. Jennifer quickly grabbed a hold of Severus' arm, but before he had a chance to tell Oman everything he had held back telling him since he was Headmaster, loud popping sounds went off all around him as a group of Enforcers showed up, quickly assessing the situation. Thomas immediately stepped out, glancing around.

"Morris, would you work on crowd control please?" Thomas said, glancing at one of the officers. "It's Christmas Eve, I'm sure most of them have better things to do. Sal come with me, you're going to fill out the report. Coming, Severus?"

"Well, I am," Jennifer said and stepped in. Severus gave Oman one last glare before stepping inside.

"Escort that one home personally," Thomas suggested to Morris, jerking a thumb towards Oman. Morris nodded solemnly, and then turned back to what he was doing as Thomas stepped inside.

The shop itself was filled with the smell of smoke and scorch marks licked around the door to the lab, but it otherwise looked in tact. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for the lab itself; for all the chemicals that had been stored there had been ignited. Even when Thomas brought out a better light and Severus cast a spell to dissipate the smoke, it still looked just as black.

"I think it's safe to say the lab's totaled," Corey said when he noticed everyone standing there. "Both the vault and the cold room in the basement are fine, though, and although the shop has some smoke damage, it'll survive. Sirius is checking upstairs now...luckily, no one is living up there at the moment, we were just using it for storage."

"Any ideas yet on what might have caused it?" Severus asked.

"I found a brazier toppled, just there," Aurelius said.

"That's where I usually set my beaker with coffee in it," Corey admitted. "I wonder if Joe might have forgotten to check it when we were cleaning up? We were all in a bit of a hurry getting out of here tonight, being Christmas Eve and all." Thomas looked glanced out the window thoughtfully.

"Oh, Corey, I'm so sorry," Jennifer said aggrieved, but Corey shook his head with a reassuring smile before glancing at Rose who had a very similar expression on her face where she stood in the doorway.

"If you ask me, it was overdue. I had that lab paid off a whole two months ago," Corey joked. "Look, don't worry, Mom. We have special insurance to cover things like this... well, there goes my safety discount... but things will work out like they always do. It could have been a lot worse if Sirius hadn't talked me into putting those extra firewalls in after what happened to Hogwarts lab. It hurt at the time, but boy am I sure glad I gave in now."

"Perhaps we should see how he's doing upstairs," Severus suggested. Rose followed behind as well, and Jennifer soon found herself standing there alone while Aurelius, Sal and Thomas scoured the area in case they missed anything. Reluctantly, she turned and went back to the farm house, doing her best to calm the children down and even helped Ashley get the younger ones settled into bed, for the excitement of the evening had finally caught up with them.

By the time they returned home Jennifer felt quite exhausted, sending Lucky straight up to her room to get some rest before plopping down on the couch, staring at the Christmas tree glumly and without any motivation. Alex and Ben took the boys up to their rooms, and in record time the house grew dark and quiet. Severus took his time taking off his gloves and coat at the door, gazing at her thoughtfully. He sniffed the air, and then sniffed the sleeve of his arm experimentally.

"Rather odd smell, for smoke. It must have been all those chemicals in the room," Severus decided. "I suppose I ought to take a shower. Perhaps you ought to do the same."

"You go first, Severus. I think I just want to sit here in the quiet for awhile," Jennifer said.

"Certain I can't get you something?" Severus asked, watching as Jennifer shook her head. "Anything at all? Coffee? Tea? Anything else you can think of that I can slip a Subtle Slumber into?"

"I'm fine, Severus, I'm just... feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment is all. Perhaps I could do with a mug, come to think of it."

"Good, so could I," Severus admitted. "Don't worry, Jennifer. Corey is more than capable of taking care of himself and his family, and I'm sure Corey could use a holiday after all this time, even if it is a forced one."

"Who isn't on a forced holiday?" Jennifer murmured bitterly. "And yet all I find myself doing is hoping this holiday would end."

"I have a thought. Once Christmas is over, why don't you and I take the boat out and perhaps go to the Mediterranean for a week or two? Then afterwards, we can head down to Africa and find out what's really been going on with this whole paw business, because I'm quite sure now it has nothing to do with any sort of curse," Severus said. "There are a lot of things going on in our lives right now, to be sure, but I'm just as certain there's more to it than bad luck. We make our own luck, Jennifer."

"You've always said that," Jennifer murmured thoughtfully. "To be honest, when I went over to Toby's tonight, he said something similar. He said that the only thing I was cursed with was a negative attitude."

"He has a point," Severus said. "Besides, considering how the last few months have been, I doubt very much anything else could go wrong..."

"Oh, Severus! Please don't say that!" Jennifer pleaded in a very panicked voice.

"Let's not get superstitious, Jennifer," Severus chided her, but paused when he heard a loud noise. He turned to look under the tree, but there didn't seem to be anything new under it.

"It sounds like an owl banging on the kitchen window," Jennifer said, getting up.

"Odd, they know they're supposed to deliver to the attic this time of night," Severus said, getting up and going towards the kitchen.

"It must be something the owl was instructed to deliver direct?" Jennifer said worriedly. "Don't tell me something else has happened!"

"Now don't panic, not yet at least," Severus said, opening the window, letting in a tall horned owl who seemed a bit put out about being left waiting in the snow. "I recognize this owl now, it belongs to Dennis Agate, he must have gotten stuck with the overnight shift at the Postmaster's Owl office again. It's international mail."

"International mail?" Jennifer repeated, impatiently waiting for Severus to glance at the envelope and open it. "It's from Sally?" she asked.

"Robert has taken ill again," Severus said quietly, reading the letter fully before looking up. "She's asking us to come right away if at all possible."

"No, no, no, not tonight!" Jennifer said turning and running into the bedroom to change. Severus followed her inside, glancing around the room. "I can't believe it! Everything just keeps going from bad to worse! When is it all going to end?"

"I don't suppose anyone could know that," Severus said, putting his Chest Cloak over his arm and then finding hers as well, rolling them up and tossing them both in his chest.

"Severus, what are you doing?" Jennifer asked with alarm.

"Resisting temptation," Severus said. "We can't bring them. We'd be much too tempted to use some of those potions if we had them on us."

"Oh, Severus!" Jennifer said, completely aghast. "I can't just let him die knowing that I can save him!"

"Yes, I know, that's why I had to lock them up," Severus said evenly, watching her fiddle with his chest. "Don't bother, I changed the combination."

"How could you do this, Severus?" Jennifer shouted. "After everything they've done for me over the years, how could you? Law or no law, they are our friends!"

"And as their friends, we should respect their wishes in this matter! We can't help them Jennifer! We simply can't intervene this time!" Severus shouted back.

"I'll make my own decisions, Severus!" Jennifer snapped.

"Then let them make theirs!" Severus snapped back.

"Stop trying to get the last word on everything! I have opinions too, not that they matter to you!" Jennifer shouted at him before she stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door, leaving Severus standing there fuming.

"Bah, humbug," Severus snarled before stepping out of the room to talk to Lucky.


	32. The Leak

Chapter Thirty-two

The Leak

An odd smell somehow managed to get past the oxygen tubes in his nose that didn't have an antiseptic smell to it. Robert opened his eyes and broke into a weak smile as he saw a familiar auburn haired woman sitting next to him, smiling back despite her red swollen eyes and holding onto his hand.

"Hey, Jackie," Robert murmured. "You been out fightin' fires again or somethin'?"

"As a matter of fact," Jackie admitted softly. "Sorry, I had trouble getting the smell off."

"Always tryin' to save the world," he teased. "You never did like sittin' still, no matter how much the Professor tries to tie you down."

"Yes. And he's definitely still trying," Jennifer said dryly. Robert's weak chuckle was unsettling.

"He loves you, Jackie, that's all that matters," Robert murmured. Jennifer clasped her other hand around his, glancing nervously at the door before leaning in.

"Let me help you, Robert," Jennifer said, so low that she ended up having to repeat it much louder than she would have liked. "Let me help you out of this, just say the word. You don't have to die."

"Oh, that's what you're fightin' him about," Robert said knowingly, nodding slightly when he saw the grimace on her face. "He's right this time, you know. Everybody's gotta die sometime. You'd just be prolongin' the inevitable, like I keep tryin' to tell my doctors here. Besides, what do you think people would think if I walked out of here with a new ticker, huh? Don't tell me you wouldn't be in trouble, I know better."

"I don't care about that. Life is more important," Jennifer said firmly.

"Same old Jackie," Robert said softly. "But I don't wanna have to go through this twice, you know? Dyin' is something better done only once. Besides, I'm being selfish, I admit it, 'cause I really don't wanna outlive Sally. Jackie... take care of Sally? You're the closest thing to a relative we got, you know. You always were like a daughter to us. Promise?" Jennifer nodded, her throat too clenched to speak. "And make up with the Professor, huh? I don't care how long you live, every minute counts, you know? Every minute," he murmured, dozing off.

Trembling, Jennifer got up, unable to stave off another onslaught of tears as she spoke a passing nurse who checked up on him, then walked back into the waiting room, an exhausted Sally looking up.

"He's asleep. I think I just wore him out, talking," Jennifer said.

"Knowing Robert, he did most of the talking," Sally said with exasperation. "I keep telling him to save his strength, but every time I do, he asks me, 'what for?' Yesterday, he even tried to convince me to smuggle in a burger. He said if he's going out, he wants his last meal to be gourmet," she said with a chuckle that soon turned into weeping. Jennifer immediately went over to her to comfort her.

"I bet I could smuggle one in," Lucky said. Severus frowned at her disapprovingly, but then was distracted by an approaching nurse.

"Everyone may come in and sit with him again if you like, but let him sleep," she said. "And no burgers," she added for good measure. Sally quickly wiped off her face and stood up, smiling gratefully at Jennifer before following the nurse back in.

"Can I go see him too?" Lucky asked.

"We'll go in with you," Severus said, but as they were getting up, Jennifer caught Severus' arm. Lucky glanced behind her questioningly, and Severus nodded for her to go on in.

"Severus, I want to stay here for awhile," Jennifer said softly. Severus gazed at her thoughtfully. "I want to stay and help Sally. I promised Rob I would," Jennifer added, nearly losing her voice again.

"Couldn't talk him into taking it, could you?" Severus murmured. Jennifer frowned but didn't respond, knowing there was no need for an explanation. "What about Christmas?"

"It's a wash anyway, Severus. To be honest, I've been done with it since Yule. But Sally is going to need someone here to help her through this, both emotionally and practically as far as their business is concerned. Besides, it isn't as if we have any other real plans, is it?" Jennifer said.

"How long do you suppose you would be?" Severus asked softly.

"As long as she needs me, Severus," Jennifer said. Severus nodded slowly.

"Fine, deal. I'll send the rest of your presents down here, but at least open mine," Severus insisted, struggling to get the box out of his cloak. Jennifer tsked at him and opened what was obviously a necklace box. But when he waited to see her reaction, he blinked, because she rolled her eyes and chuckled at him.

"Oh no. Severus, don't tell me this has another wind charm on it," Jennifer said.

"You don't like it?" Severus frowned.

"Well, yes, only you gave me a necklace that looks exactly like this five years ago."

"But this one has a blue diamond set in the sailing boat, you see? I wouldn't have done that," Severus said insistently. Jennifer sighed at him and pulled out the necklace she was wearing glancing at it briefly before holding it up and showing him it was the exact same one.

"You gave it to me because you thought it'd be a funny way to remind me that time we ran aground, remember?" Jennifer tsked.

"Never mind. I'll get you something else," he promised.

"You don't need to get me anything else, Severus, it's the thought that counts..."

"No, no... I'll get you something else. Any preferences?"

"Something that isn't jewelry," Jennifer said. Severus frowned at that.

"You would make it difficult, would you?" Severus said, but Jennifer kissed him gently on the cheek and made him put it away, walking him into Rob's room.

* * *

It was an hour later when Severus and Lucky arrived back home to find the sun was coming up, and inside the Baker Street house, Christmas was in full swing. Janus and Rus were already under the tree, ignoring Ben and Alex's attempts at keeping them away from the presents by pulling all the ribbons off. Lucky immediately began searching through her pile, setting aside parcels from countless relatives to get the one with Dale's name on it.

"Thank goodness you're back! We've been going crazy trying to keep them patient!" Alex grinned. "Where's Mum?"

"Staying in New York for a few weeks," Severus said. Alex frowned.

"That bad?" she asked. Severus nodded. "You sure Mum is not going to well... fix things?"

"Your mother can make her own decisions, Alexandria, and I trust they'll be the right ones. Go ahead and open the presents now, if you like. I need to get a bit of rest," Severus admitted.

"I think you ought to probably see this morning's paper before you do that, Father," Alex said, suddenly turning serious.

"Whatever accusations they've made concerning that fire can wait until after my nap," Severus said firmly.

"No, it's not that," Alex said, searching through the pile. "In fact, I don't even think that made the paper."

"A family calamity not making the paper? That would be a first," Severus said dryly. "And why are you looking for the paper under there?"

"It's from Hermione," Alex said, pulling out a rolled copy of the _Daily Prophet,_ tied up with a red velvet ribbon.

Pulling off the ribbon, Severus quickly unrolled the paper and his jaw immediately dropped, nearly having to sit down from the shock. For surrounded in the bright green ink the Prophet changed to for the season, were the words, **_Entire Hogwarts Staff Resigns!_ **printed in very bold red ink. The body of the letter was simple; it was the letter he had sent to Hermione as his resignation.

_Dear Hermione;_

_ I know this a terrible time of year to be doing this, but recent events have left me little choice. The facts are that due to concerns over my daughter's ability, the board has recommended her removal from school. It is something I cannot possibly allow; the idea that we would pass judgment on a student who has done nothing wrong but be born in the wrong family with the wrong talent is nothing short of unacceptable, and I would never have allowed it regardless of the student. Unfortunately, certain members of the board have decided to take advantage of the fact I am also her parent by threatening an inquiry that never would have been called had she been anyone else's child. I am certainly not going to allow her troubled past to be exploited by people who have no compassion for a girl who has made such valiant lengths to overcome it and become such a brilliant asset to the school. I am therefore resigning so I can fight this battle in the courts to make certain she is allowed to continue her education at Hogwarts where she belongs. I only hope those that follow realize as I do that the needs of the student should always supercede the needs of the faculty; without students, the school has no future. _

_ Good Luck and Farewell,_

_ Hogwarts Forever,_

_ Severus Snape._

Nothing else followed but the signature resignation of all the staff members from Sally to Rhett, Ginny to Boulderdash. Even John Carnegie's name was there, despite the fact he knew it was either stay at Hogwarts or face prison, and Icarus Ravenclaw, penned with unusual flare.

"My school," Severus murmured in horror. "They resigned, every one of them... but what about the students that stayed over the holidays?"

"Ouch, I didn't think of that," Alex admitted. "I'm sure Hermione wouldn't have left them alone."

Severus strode over to the entryway without another word, too worried to even think of putting his coat back on as he Apparated to the gates of Hogwarts and strode in, wondering where to go. But when he glanced at the portraits in the hall, he found them pointed towards the Great Hall and hurried over to it, taking big long strides over to the doors and then stopping short.

With great care and deftness, Severus was able to slowly crack open one of the tall doors, hearing a round of student laughter. Cautiously he peered in to see that all the students were sitting down for breakfast at the same table, while at the head sat Tonks, hamming it up by making funny faces for the students and playing a round of 'guess the impression' to an obviously enthusiastic audience.

"Good morning, Severus. Happy Christmas," said a voice behind him and quickly he shut the door and spun around to see Eric standing there with a smile. "Having a good holiday?"

"Not really, no," Severus said. Eric nodded somberly at that. "I suppose I really shouldn't be here, but when I saw the paper, I was concerned about the students that had to stay this year." Eric smiled.

"There's no need, Severus. The board has the matter well in hand," Eric said calmly. "In fact, I've already scheduled an emergency board meeting tomorrow to discuss all of this. It's a closed meeting, but I'll keep you informed."

"Eric, if I knew this would have happened..." Severus began slowly.

"You would have done exactly the same thing," Eric finished for him, despite Severus' unsure expression. "You would have because you had to have. Students first, Severus." Severus thought it over a moment before nodding.

"You're right. I would have," he said evenly.

"I'll drop by the house if anything that comes up that might interest you," Eric said, slipping into the Great Hall.

Severus stared at that closed door for several minutes, listening to the soft murmur of laughter beyond it before finally walking out of castle, his heart feeling rather heavy at having to leave at all.

As he Apparated in front of his house, he was surprised at the sight of a girl standing at the door, who was shifting back and forth from one foot to another as if contemplating whether or not to knock. She looked rather cold as if she had been standing there for some time, but it was the way she had her hair pushed back with a ribbon that made him realize who it was.

"Miss Agate?" Severus said. Delia jumped up in surprise, watching as he came up the stairs with open fear on her face. "Is something wrong?"

"It's... it's my fault," she blurted out, looking as if she wanted to bolt. "It's all my fault! Please don't tell Lucky! But please, you can't leave Hogwarts, you just can't! It'd be my fault! I didn't mean to!"

"Miss Agate, I don't really know what you're talking about but I suggest we take it inside, especially since neither of us are really dressed to be out in this weather," Severus said.

"But she'll kick me out of the order!"

"I'm not going to tell Lucky anything you don't want me to tell her, but I'm simply not about to stand here on a doorstep while you make some sort of confession. In," Severus ordered, opening the door. Reluctantly Delia shuffled in, meekly peering in the parlor to see a brown haired man blinking back at her from where he sat playing with two children.

"Everything all right, Father?" Alex asked, looking at the girl curiously.

"Yes, Eric Dalance seemed to be handling the matter I was concerned with," Severus explained. "Where's Fortuna?"

"After she got everything opened she said she was tired and went upstairs to take a nap," Ben explained.

"Understandable, considering neither of us have been to bed yet. I'll be in the library. Come this way, Miss Agate," Severus said, leading her up the back stairs and into the library, shutting the door behind them. It felt rather odd talking to a student without a desk between them, but he shrugged it off and used the coffee table as a barrier instead, gesturing her to sit while taking the opposite seat.

"So? You were about to tell me how me deciding to resign was apparently your fault?" he prompted.

"I'm the leak," she said. Severus squinted.

"Explain."

"It wasn't on purpose! It was just... I never had a friend before, not a close one! Even the Owls sometimes roll their eyes or gape at me when I say something, and I've never felt like I could talk to anyone and... but I thought I could trust her! I really didn't think she'd go and do something like this! I didn't even know anything was going on until the papers all the sudden seemed more interested in Lucky than Dale and then... I didn't want any of this to come out, Professor, really! I never would have said anything had I thought she would have..."

"Wait, who exactly are we talking about?" Severus demanded.

"Sherrie, my pen pal from Whitebridge," Delia murmured. "Her parents are journalists." Severus stared at her for a moment, and then shook his head. "I didn't mean for any of this to get out I was just... I thought she was my friend and wanted to find out more about me and the school, that's all."

"And ended up talking about your friends instead?" Severus finished. Delia grew quiet. "I suppose she would have wanted to know more about Dale first. That would have seemed natural, I think, under the circumstances of his current fame. But you knew perfectly well what would happen to Lucky if her background became known..."

"Yes, but I trusted her! I know I shouldn't have! I probably should have been on to her ages ago now that I look back on it, but it was just so nice to feel like I could trust somebody... anybody! And she really seemed to care about what I had to say..."

"Especially when it was something she could exploit about Dale, no doubt," Severus said, Delia growing somber. "You know, it may not have been entirely her doing, considering where it went... one or both of her parents had a hand in this as well, I suspect that's obvious now. However, now that we know the source of the problem, perhaps we can do some damage control."

"Isn't it too late for that?" Delia asked softly.

"It isn't too late to improve any situation, but whether we can fix it directly or not remains to be seen. Have you written to her since you figured out what was going on?" Severus asked. Delia shook her head. "You wouldn't happen to have copies of everything you sent?"

"Of course I do. My quills always keep an archival copy of everything," Delia explained. Severus gazed at her dubiously.

"In that case, perhaps for once that silly quill habit of yours may come in handy. I need you to get those quills of yours to make copies of anything you've written about the school or any of the Owls, not just Chance and Fortuna... just the details, thanks. If you ranted about a teacher giving too much homework that's not what I'm interested in, but I must know exactly what you've told her," Severus said.

"All right, Professor. I suppose I ought to get started, then," Delia said, back to her normal, no-nonsense composure.

"Yes, please do so, but don't neglect your homework for it," Severus added.

"Of course not," Delia said indignantly, hesitating when he opened the door to show her out. "It is going to be all right, isn't it?" she asked unsurely.

"I suppose we'll just have to wait and see," Severus said as he walked her down the stairs and out the front door.


	33. Assessment Day

_A/N Second Chapter this weekend._

Chapter Thirty-Three

Assessment Day

That night Severus felt alone and miserable; but he had been expecting that. He was very much not looking forward to the time he was going to have to spend without Jennifer nearby to cheer him up. It was neither fun nor productive to feel sorry for himself when Jennifer wasn't around to comment on it, and he began wondering just when he had begun depending so much on her presence, especially when things were bleak. He had trouble sleeping; his mind bouncing around from Lucky and the school, to Kingler's and Corey's misfortunes, and least of which but still present was his concerns over his own future.

Although exhausted from tossing and turning, he decided to get up early the next day to try and get something productive done. He stepped out to see Lucky in the living room with Rus on her lap, watching television. Rus kept intentionally putting his head in front of her to get her attention, while she futilely attempted to look around him.

"I need to head to Myrkinbrek to return something. I don't suppose you want to come?" Severus asked.

"Nah, I'm babysitting right now. Ben needed to run to the store," Lucky shrugged.

"He really should just let Mercy do that," Severus said, glancing through the mail.

"It's her day off, it's Boxing Day. Besides, I think he needed to go out, you know... he was feeling crowded."

"Perish the thought. That would never happen in this house," Severus said sarcastically. "I will try not to be long, Lucky, but if Delia happens to come by, ask her to come in and wait."

"Why would Delia come by?" Lucky asked puzzledly.

"A school matter she is consulting me on," Severus said, tossing on his cloak.

"Are you sure you really quit?" Lucky asked dubiously. She shook her head at him as he stepped out of the house, pretending not to have heard her.

* * *

Myrkinbrek was actually much more crowded than he would have thought, especially for that time of the morning. Even as he walked towards Tassels and Panning, he found himself debating whether or not to go through the trouble of returning it. He knew full well they wouldn't be happy unless he walked out with something, but remembered Jennifer's plea for something different this year. Perhaps something to help her out of the slump she was in, Severus mused, but realized that he was barely any better off than she was.

He was thinking so deeply that he practically passed the shop, and after dealing with the irritating chore of attempting to convince goblins to take back _any_ merchandise at all, he came out feeling even more grumpy than before and in no mood to do any more shopping whatsoever. Of course, he really wasn't under any obligation of getting Jennifer a present today, he reasoned to himself. In fact, he probably had plenty of time. That realization made Severus brood even more, wandering through the streets and peering in shop windows without much desire of actually going in any of them. Finally he found himself sitting down on a bench with no direction whatsoever of where to go next, knowing that the feeling extended far beyond just finding the next shop to go into.

"Rough holiday?" asked a soft voice beside him.

"Horrendous," Severus said grumpily, then glanced over and blinked in surprise to see it was the grey haired boy sitting beside him with a sympathetic expression on his face.

"I know what will cheer you up. At least, it always cheers me up when I'm feeling rotten," the boy said, hopping off the bench and going over to one of the vendors. Severus watched curiously as the boy got two pumpkin ice cream cones and walked back over, handing one out to him.

"Here, for you. It's all right; it's Assessment Day. I'm allowed to spend money if I want," the boy explained.

"I can hardly accept a gift from someone when I don't even know their name," Severus said evenly. The boy thought about it for a moment, but then noticed that the ice cream was starting to melt.

"All right, you win. Everyone calls me Leu. Will you take it now?" the boy asked. Severus took the cone and watched thoughtfully as the boy sat beside him and started eating his ice cream without saying a word. Severus did the same, often giving the boy side glances as he debated how to proceed.

"I suppose your name is short for something? Louis perhaps?" Severus asked.

"Actually it's Llewellyn, but nobody's called me that outside of legal documents since my parents died," Leu admitted.

"And what is this Assessment Day?" Severus asked.

"It's a goblin holiday," Leu explained, pausing to get his ice cream back under control. "Today is the day that all the goblins balance their books and get an assessment of their profits, and they assess their employees and determine if they've been an asset to the business over the year. If you're an asset, you get a small bonus and get the rest of the day off."

"And if you're not an asset?" Severus inquired.

"Then you get fired, and you still get the day off," Leu said. "Not they could fire me, really, but it is nice to have some money I can actually spend for a change. I had been trying to save as much as I could, but I suppose there's no point to it now if Hogwarts is closing and all." Severus stared at him.

"Who told you that Hogwarts is closing?" Severus asked.

"I read it in the _Oracle_," Leu admitted. Severus rolled his eyes. "What choice do they have now that all the staff have left?"

"As bleak as things are right now, Llewellyn, I very much doubt that Eric Dalance would ever let that school close," Severus said. "Most of the staff are just reacting to my own resignation. I doubt that most of them really want to leave the school."

"Did you want to leave?" Leu asked.

"No," Severus admitted with a sigh. "But I had no choice. Perhaps, however, I can help Eric by convincing them to go back."

"I'm sure that'll help. They seem to listen to you," Leu said encouragingly, nibbling on the cone. "I guess I ought to save some of my money after all, then. How much is tuition?"

"It depends on the student," Severus said carefully.

"But what's the average? I've been saving up, and I have only one more Assessment Day left before then. I'm hoping if I have enough to pay my way in, they'll let me go, you see?" Leu said.

"You're only nine?" Severus frown, staring at the boy.

"Ten, I just have a late birthday."

"You are very articulate for ten. You remind me of my brother-in-law in that respect," Severus said.

"Goblin schools. They're very particular about English, but their arithmetic drives me crazy," Leu admitted. "At least they're teaching me enough about interest rates I can keep track of my own debts now. Maybe I ought to bribe someone for a raise or something. At the rate I'm going, I'll be at this until I'm thirty... or maybe longer. You know what they say, if anything can go wrong, it will. And if anything does go wrong, it'll more than likely be me it happens to."

"Leu! What are you doing?" a goblin hissed. Leu suddenly looked up like a frightened deer. "Leave that wizard alone before I tell the bank you were speaking to someone you're not authorized to." Quickly the boy leapt to his feet and scurried between the buildings. But before the goblin could turn and walk away, Severus was towering over him.

"Exactly what was that all about? Why is that boy living among goblins?" Severus demanded, getting in his path.

"I am not authorized to speak to you about this matter, Mr. Snape," the goblin said.

"Might I ask who is?" Severus asked.

"Assuming you have a valid reason to know, I suppose the bank board or the Ministry departments of goblin or family affairs," the goblin said. "But I seriously doubt there is a valid reason. Really, don't you have your own problems right now?"

"For some reason none of them seem very important at this moment," Severus said, and then suddenly turned to walk up the street. The goblin stared after him, wondering if the wizard's recent loss of his job hadn't made him quite mad.

Severus strode down the street and into Grendelbane's, the Beard Wand getting quite excited at his presence. Grendelbane peered out of his workshop questioningly.

"That's not a customer, Beard Wand. That's a Snape," Grendelbane said with an amused sneer.

"Have you heard of a boy living here by the name of Llewellyn?" Severus asked.

"Leu? Of course, everyone knows about Leu," Grendelbane shrugged, and then noticed Severus' frustrated expression. "Don't tell me that's who you've been looking for all this time? I would have thought you had heard about him."

"Of course that's who I was looking for! What is he doing living among goblins and going to a goblin school, no less?" Severus demanded.

"His parents died in an accident, Severus, and he has no living relatives..."

"As I've already discovered on my own, but that doesn't explain why he's here," Severus interrupted.

"Because he was the guarantor of his parent's loan," Grendelbane explained. Severus gazed at him fixedly for a moment until realization took hold.

"His parents defaulted on a Firstborn loan," Severus murmured. "Why hasn't the Ministry stepped in?"

"Some political thing or other... I don't know. You know I don't get involved in politics if I can help it," Grendelbane said. "And where are you going now?"

"To get involved in politics," Severus said, stepping out the door.

The Ministry was bustling by the time he got there, most of them trying to make up for the day they were off. It was disgustingly cheerful (at least in his opinion), and Severus did his best to wave away the countless people who stopped him to ask about his resignation in the paper.

"All right, that's enough already, please!" Percy said as he came up to meet him near the Family Services department and attempted to shoo the others away. "Sorry, Severus, but it's a madhouse in here today. I suppose you're here for an update on your case?"

"That wasn't my initial reason, but if you have anything, I'd be glad to hear it," Severus admitted. Percy quickly stepped in, pulling some papers off of the desk.

"Counselor Vallid's office sent the paperwork for a temporary stay on any action by the board to keep her out of school pending litigation, and it was signed off by the Magistrate office this morning," Percy said. "You'll be able to get her on the train in time."

"Thank you, that's one thing off my mind at least," Severus said, glancing over the paperwork.

"You know, if you win this... and you should... you could probably also sue the board for your job back," Percy suggested.

"The thought had occurred to me, although the idea of working another minute with Abraxus Coventry leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Not to mention there are other matters to deal with..."

"Draco is blaming this all on him, you know. He's even said as much... to both papers this time," Percy said.

"I'd say he has a point, but really, although I'm glad this matter with Lucky is cleared away at least on her end of this, that isn't why I'm here," Severus said impatiently. "Did you know that a wizardborn child is living among the goblins?"

"Do you mean Leu?" Percy asked. Severus stared at him. "Yes, we know about Leu. Someone from family services checks up on him periodically. Isn't that right, Gail?"

"Hm? Oh yes, we had someone out there last month," said a distracted witch behind one of the desks. "Just routine, though. The bank takes pretty good care of him, at least while he's here at home."

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Severus asked.

"Severus, you know we can't give particulars about anyone's case. You wouldn't want anyone snooping in your affairs, would you?" Percy said.

"I just don't understand why the Ministry could possible be all right with this... a child being treated like property! He may as well be a slave!"

"You are overreacting, Professor," Percy said. "It isn't as if all of this hasn't been brought up before, but because the dispute over who was going to raise him was with goblins, it went straight up to Draco's office. He mitigated the terms, not me, and not anyone from this office, either. If you ask me, I think it'll work out in Leu's best interests. Normally Firstborns don't start paying their debts off until after they've left Hogwarts. As I understand it, he's got a decent head start just from working weekends, and I guarantee you he's picking up skills from the goblins he's not likely to learn from us."

"I don't understand how come these loans aren't banned altogether," Severus growled.

"Because the goblins would probably go to war if we tried, considering it's their safest form of income," Percy said. "Leu is an exception to the rules. Generally, people either pay the thing or relatives and friends jump in to do it. In fifty years, the goblins have only had to deal with only two defaults from the hundreds they've issued."

"Two?" Severus repeated as realization began to sink in. "Who was the other?"

"Isn't that rather obvious, Severus?" Percy said with a sigh, and Severus immediately realized it was. But before Severus could ask what was on his mind, there was a brief knock on the open door. Severus looked up to see Harold Gimler standing there.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I heard the Professor was in the building, and the school board is looking for him. The Chairman wants to know if you could come to the meeting room, Professor" Harold said.

"Tell him I'm busy," Severus snapped.

"Yes, well, I don't blame you for feeling that way, but I think they might be willing to listen this time, considering Abraxus Coventry just stormed out of the meeting ready to blow craters," Harold said.

"That does sound promising. Mind if I tag along? I don't think Draco would forgive me if I didn't get a play by play of that," Percy said amusedly.

"Be my guest, I could always use a witness. Nobody ever believes me when I tell them how insane these meetings are," Severus said, the three men hurrying out of the office for the long walk to the other side of the Ministry.

"Considering your entire staff's reaction to this, I think I'm inclined to disagree," Percy said.

Harold opened the door and stepped in for a moment before opening it wide to let the two men pass through. Severus gazed thoughtfully at the somber faces sitting there; even Norman looked quite subdued. But he didn't miss the fact that Coventry's seat was vacant.

"Thank you for coming, Severus. I am very glad you were nearby. Was I interrupting something?" Eric asked questioningly when he saw the Minister's assistant standing there.

"We were discussing possible job opportunities," Percy offered.

"Yes, we were having a discussion along similar lines, actually," Eric admitted. "I called the meeting to take suggestions on your replacement, as well as the rest of your former faculty."

"Oh? Did you find someone?" Severus asked expressionlessly.

"Well, I must admit Norman did mention a name that got fairly wide approval in the board, until Harry came in and told Norman where to put his suggestion," Eric said with amusement.

"You didn't have to tell him that part," Norman murmured to Eric in annoyance. Tonks snickered softly.

"The point is, Severus, that even in the most ideal of circumstances, we wouldn't be able to replace this many people in a week. We would be scrambling to get it done in next year, let alone get them trained, completely versed in Hogwarts standards, traditions, ethics and so forth...yes well, as Norman put it earlier, you've rather put us in a lurch, so to speak. The students' needs must come first and regardless of our petty squabbles," Eric.

"As I have been saying the entire time," Severus pointed out. "Nor was I the one attempting to put anyone in the lurch. I agree the students' needs should come first. _All_ the students," he amended, looking over at Norman who was refusing to meet his eye. "And regardless of where their talents lie. So unless you intend to say something about the situation that started this whole thing, this conversation is going to be quite pointless."

"Fair enough," Eric said with a nod. "You know, Severus, Norman and I had over a hundred Owls from worried parents that morning your daughter's talents came out. Of course, we had over five hundred show up after that paper with your resignation, and I can assure you although the majority of them were in lovely red envelopes, they were most assuredly not Christmas cards," he said dryly. "The parents have spoken, the staff have spoken...even your counselor as spoken, so the board has decided not to pursue the matter any further. In fact, we voted eleven to one to retract our request into an inquiry on whether or not Miss Snape should be allowed to stay in school."

"She would have stayed in school anyhow," Severus shrugged unconcernedly. Percy nodded silently at that.

"Assuming we actually managed to get it open," Eric agreed. "But after spending the morning talking it over, we've all decided... unanimously... that we would very much like you and your staff to come back to Hogwarts." Severus squinted.

"Unanimous? How did you get Abraxus to change his mind?" Severus asked.

"He didn't. He simply resigned from the board before we took the vote," Eric explained with a thin smile.

"I see," Severus said, glancing at the empty chair thoughtfully before looking over at Eric. "I am going to need forty-eight hours grace period. Jennifer is taking care of some concerns abroad and I need to make arrangements for our daughter, as well speak with Hermione and see what her thoughts are on coming back before we begin contacting the staff."

"Of course," Eric nodded.

"I should also inform you that considering the nature of Jennifer's absence, she will most likely not be able to come back to the new term, so I will have to hire a substitute."

"Choose whoever you feel is appropriate, Severus, we already ruled on that one," Eric reminded him.

"I would also like to have some say as to who the next board member is going to be," Severus added.

"What?" Norman said, nearly getting up from his chair, but Eric made him sit back down.

"You may vote my recommendations up or down as is your discretion, but it will be someone I recommend; not someone who simply donates the most, nor someone a particular board member recommends just because they would help support their side. I want someone who is going to be an asset to the school and not a hindrance. If you don't agree, I'll simply walk away right now," Severus said seriously. Eric glanced around the table. Half of them didn't look very pleased with the idea, but it was obvious that none of them were going to protest, either.

"I also expect a bylaw to be written that students have equal rights and protections no matter who their parents are or whether their parents are employed by the school or not," Severus said. "In fact, I would do so by next meeting if I were you, since it'll save both the school and myself both a lot of money considering the expensive court fees it'd cost for them to make that decision for you."

"If you return to your job, Severus, you won't be able to continue that case. It's in your contract," Norman pointed out.

"I'm not bound under any contract at the moment, Norman. I resigned. If the new contract has such a stipulation, I simply won't sign it," Severus said.

"Would that mean the board could sue you as well, Severus?" Norman challenged him.

"What if we put in something to the affect of, 'allowed legal proceedings provided that it is in the best interests of the school?'" Eric suggested quickly. Norman frowned but went back to gazing at him warily.

"And its students," Severus added.

"Fine," Eric agreed. "I'll draw it up and send it along to you to look over while you're making your preparations."

"Very well! You know where to reach me," Severus said, turning around without another word and walking out, Percy right behind him.

"That went well, didn't it?" Percy said.

"Yes, but hold on to all those legal documents that got filed, just in case," Severus.

"No problem at all," Percy agreed. "Welcome back, Professor."

"Odd, it doesn't feel like I even left," Severus said in response.


	34. Work In

_A/N Third Chapter this weekend. Happy Mother's Day!_

Chapter Thirty-Four

Work-In

Severus knocked on a small cottage door, raising a slight brow at the state of the yard, which was anything but in order.

It was Bill who opened the door, blinking in surprise when he saw who it was.

"Did you get a dog?" Severus asked evenly.

"Huh? Oh, the yard... that's just my daughter. She likes to dig holes," Bill Weasley explained, showing him in.

"Considering who her parents are, I suppose I should not be surprised," Severus said. "Although I hope you curb her of that habit before she goes to Hogwarts or I may have to hide all of the shovels."

"Oh? Do you expect to be back there by then?" Bill asked with a grin.

"I expect I'll be back next week," Severus admitted. "The board seems to have changed their mind once they realized the impact of all of us resigning at once."

"That was quite brilliant of Hermione, both the article and getting everyone to go along with it," Bill said with open appreciation. "I am glad it worked. She was rather nervous about it at Christmas. She didn't really want to resign, you know."

"None of us did," Severus agreed. "But hopefully with the concessions that are being made with our reinstatement, it will never have to happen again."

"Well, if you are worried about it, you could simply unionize and make it official," Bill said, stepping into the parlor and getting them some drinks. "Then again, it's working so well now without the paperwork, why bother?"

"Why indeed?" Severus said, accepting the drink and the congratulatory tip of the glass that went with it.

"So what brings you here, Severus? I know you wouldn't be here with everything going on unless it was important. Were you looking for Heather about that mine business?" Bill asked.

"No, I'm not quite ready to delve into that again with everything else going on, but I will be soon. Actually, I'm here to ask you about Firstborn loans," Severus said. Bill blinked in surprise. "And what it is like to be a child involved in a defaulted one."

"Who told you?" Bill asked in a low voice.

"No one told me. Someone simply hinted that there had been someone else," Severus admitted. "I didn't know until yesterday. I had always thought you were simply treasure hunting for the cheap thrill."

"Well, I was," Bill grinned. "I mainly just do vault assessment and appraisals these days, but I had a blast working in the treasure hunting department, that's why I stayed on after Mum and Dad's debt was paid off. Goblin employers may make you work hard, but they also teach you a lot of things that just can't learn in the classroom. You must have known that already, considering you sent Corey to work at Grendelbane's when he was young."

"That was different. It was an entirely voluntary arrangement, and Jennifer and I were there to help make those decisions. It isn't the same as a boy forced into a debt he had no control over and without any parental guidance to make sure he isn't being taken advantage of," Severus said.

"What? My parents had plenty of say... oh wait. I get it now," Bill caught himself, the confusion leaving his face. "This is about Leu, isn't it?" Severus stared at him.

"Why is it that after me going six months not being able to find out anything on the boy that everyone suddenly seems to know who he is?" Severus demanded.

"Well, you didn't ask me," Bill protested, parrying the Professor's seething annoyance. "I've known Leu since he came to Myrkinbrek two summers ago. Brilliant boy but very serious, as if the shock of losing his parents never quite wore off. Sometimes he walks around like he's just going through the motions, but at other times he can also be quite active and focused. If you want to see the kid really shine, just stick him in water. Nobody loves the ocean like Leu Murphy does."

"His last name is Murphy?" Severus asked flatly.

"Llewellyn MacLir Murphy," Bill nodded. "His mother went to Hogwarts I think, although I'm not sure her last name so you'd have to ask him... his father went to school in Ireland. I see him a lot during the times he's staying in Myrkinbrek. I helped train him so he sometimes comes to me when he has questions about something."

"Training him in what, exactly?" Severus squinted.

"Basic rules and procedures with treasure acquisitions, and how to use goblin devices that work as magic detectors, that sort of thing. Every now and then if the goblins have trouble explaining something to him they come and get me to help him through it. Not that it's happened lately, he's really adapted quick under the circumstances."

"So he does the same job you did?" Severus frowned.

"No, we just both work in acquisitions. He works the ocean excavation team as a diver," Bill said.

"That's what he was doing in the middle of the ocean," Severus murmured in realization. "He can breathe underwater, can't he?"

"More than that, he's also immune to changes in pressure," Bill said. "The doctors all believe it actually manifested during the boating accident. His natural magic was just trying to keep him alive... well that, and he got a lucky break in the gene pool. Bliant thinks he might have some Fomorian blood on his father's side of the family."

"Be that as it may, I very much doubt he's immune to sharks," Severus snapped.

"Severus, I am absolutely certain that the goblins on that crew take every single precaution to make sure Leu stays safe," Bill reassured him.

"Only because they don't want to lose their investment," Severus said with disgust.

"Partially true," Bill admitted. "But considering how much they prize their investments, are you sure you really have anything to worry about? He is well taken care of, and I know from personal experience they will treat him as one of their own if not better. When he's paid the debt and he's of age, he'll have a job for life if he wants it. Besides, I didn't turn out all that badly, did I?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Severus said flatly. Bill simply chuckled at him and shook his head. "Fine, I accept that they may not intentionally harm him, despite the fact that he has 'care givers' rather than loving parents like you had. But let me ask you this, William. Have you ever once... even for an instant in the worst of times... have you ever considered putting your daughter Amy up on one of those Firstborn loans?"

Bill checked himself, well aware of how intense the scrutiny was. He looked through a window towards his backyard for a moment before finally turning back around.

"No," Bill admitted at last, but then forced a smile on his face. "After all, I think Heather would kill me if I even suggested it."

"Yes, well, I'm beginning to think she hasa point," Severus said as he got up. "Thank you for the chat. It was quite enlightening."

"Sure, Professor, drop by any time," Bill said.

"If I'm not careful in that yard, I may do so quite literally," Severus said dryly. Bill chuckled as he showed Severus out, but when he left, Bill still had a lot to think about.

* * *

Aurelius drummed his fingers from behind the desk of the Auror office, watching at the flag board keeping track of all known dark wizards in the country. In fact, he was watching the movements without truly even looking at it, impatiently waiting for his sister to show up and hoping she would confirm his suspicions on those killed in Solomon's mines. Just then there was a knock and he looked up quickly, sighing in annoyance when he realized it wasn't Alex at all.

"Hullo, Rel! Don't you look bored," Andrew teased cheerfully.

"What do you want, Andrew?" Aurelius asked warily.

"Actually, I have some good news. Apparently the board went groveling to Father on their hands and knees, so the rest of us professors will be able to go back to work on time," Andrew said.

"Yes, I know," Aurelius said expressionlessly.

"How could you know already?" Andrew asked with exasperation. "I know you're not allowed to leave this office when you're on board duty... or is that bored duty?" Andrew mused.

"Simply enough, Ben told Alex. And if Alex knows, the entire world knows," Aurelius said.

"Oh. Well, that wasn't all I came to talk to you about anyway," Andrew said. "I was wondering if you'd like to room up at my house for a while? I know you've got to be feeling crowded at Baker Street, and since I'm gone most of the time, you'll have the place mostly to yourself, except for three house elves. You'll find the kitchen is well stocked, and I did a bit of rearranging already if you're interested."

"Thanks, Andrew," Aurelius said sincerely. "But I think I had better stay where I am for right now."

"If you're worried about running into anything questionable, don't be. I put all that stuff away; it's all as clean and disgusting as you are," Andrew insisted.

"As much as I appreciate the offer, Andrew, I really don't think it'd work out," Aurelius said. "You and I are polar opposites, we always have been. The first weekend you decide to come home, we'll be at one another's throats from the moment you step in the door."

"Trust me, you won't even know I live there. I'll simply take my dates somewhere else if things run late," Andrew said. Aurelius sighed at him.

"Aren't you ever going to grow up?" Aurelius asked.

"That's a rhetorical question, right?" Andrew said. He heard a soft groan and turned around to see Ginger walk in with some papers in hand.

"Test results on the Locksley case. I don't think it's going to be enough to nail him," Ginger said, ignoring Andrew.

"I'll put a copy in Harry's folder then. Maybe he has some other ideas," Aurelius said.

"And just where have you been hiding?" Andrew asked Ginger. "I went over to your house on Christmas, but you weren't there."

"Of course not. I had dinner with my mother and the rest of the family like I always do," Ginger said.

"I also came by yesterday, but you weren't there either..."

"I didn't know it was illegal to leave my house," Ginger said curtly. "And you're not my mother."

"Leave her alone, Andrew," Aurelius said, glaring at him.

"I was only asking as a concerned friend," Andrew protested. "I simply haven't seen you around much since Yule, that's all."

"That was a week and a half ago, Andrew. Do you mind? I'm supposed to be working," Ginger said. "Surely you have something better to do."

"Actually, I'm trying to talk Aurelius into rooming with me, and I don't plan to leave until I've talked him into it," Andrew said.

"Oh, are you?" Ginger said slyly. "Well, I think that's a brilliant idea!" she decided enthusiastically. Aurelius frowned at her. "But don't you think your girlfriends would object?"

"My brother is more important than my social life, Ginger," Andrew said, too busy looking at Ginger to miss the dirty look he was getting from Aurelius.

"Well, that's very charitable of you. Aurelius, I think you should take him up on it," Ginger said with a wide smile.

"See? Even Ginger likes the idea," Andrew says.

"I'm staying where I'm at," Aurelius said flatly. "Get out, Andrew."

"He's so stubborn! It must be an Auror thing," Andrew said.

"It must be a Snape thing," Ginger retorted, turning to leave.

"Wait," Andrew said, tugging her sleeve. Ginger and Aurelius both rolled her eyes. "How about a truce? Come to dinner with me before I have to head back to Hogwarts?"

"I'm working," Ginger pointed out.

"I don't mean today. How about Saturday?"

"I'm busy."

"Since when are you busy on a Saturday?" Andrew frowned. "How about next Saturday?"

"No, sorry, I'm booked solid," Ginger said.

"Andrew, I'm going to have you thrown out," Aurelius warned.

"I can handle it, Rel," Ginger said. Aurelius immediately quieted down.

"How could possibly be booked solid?" Andrew asked.

"If you must know, I'm taking golf lessons abroad," Ginger said.

"Golf lessons?" Andrew repeated incredulously. "What would you want to do that for? You're about as un-Muggle as they come. You're a Quidditch player from a Quidditch family, what would you want to mess with a game where you spend more time walking about than playing?"

"I'm sick of the fast paced game, Andrew," Ginger said briskly. "I may have made a habit of it, but it wasn't what I ever wanted. It's time I learned how to take things slow and contemplated a sport that includes me rather than uses me. I'll see you later, Rel," she added before she went out the door. Andrew stared at her from the doorway with his mouth open as she walked off.

"She's seeing someone, isn't she?" Andrew said incredulously, meeting only his brother's deadpan gaze. "She is, she has to be! Who is she seeing?" he demanded.

"Why are you asking me?" Aurelius asked fixedly.

"Because you're the mind reader, why else?" Andrew said with exasperation.

"Yes, but I know when it's time to mind my own business, which is something you evidently still have no clue on. You can go after any other girl in the country for all I care, but it's time you left Ginger alone. No means no, stop means stop, and go to hell, Andrew means go to hell, Andrew. Thanks for the offer of the house, though, glad things are all right at the school now. Can I get back to work?" Aurelius said.

"I swear, you're even more of a prick now than you were before you lost Pali," Andrew said, but Aurelius simply became interested in his paperwork, having no intention of letting Andrew provoke him.

"Excuse me! Andrew, really, get out of the doorway! Are you two fighting _again?" _Alex said with exasperation from behind him. Reluctantly Andrew stepped out of the way, while Aurelius looked up expectantly.

"So?" Aurelius asked.

"You were right," Alex said with a grin, handing a scroll.

"What's going on now?" Andrew asked.

"Oh, mind your own business Andrew..."

"The men who died in the mine," Alex interrupted, ignoring the exasperated sigh behind her. "They were all members of the order of Equinox."

"I thought it might make sense, considering what they did for a living... one in apprehending magic treasure, and one working for the Artifacts department," Aurelius said.

"Not only that, but I was able to cross reference this old members list with missing wizards reports to find out who the other two men were. I have them marked, Rel," Alex said.

"How in the world did you get a hold of that? I thought they always kept those lists secret," Andrew asked, sounding more impressed than he intended.

"I have connections in the Ministry, and really that's not the point," Alex said evasively. "The point is we have two more individuals to research, and it also I think it's very likely that whoever they sent out a message to was probably also in the order, and that information could have passed down to other members. So there is a high chance that whoever it is that's behind these accidents was a member of Equinox before it got disbanded."

"Yes, and who do we know that might have access to both the knowledge passed down through Equinox and knowledge passed down through the Ministry of Mysteries?" Aurelius said, folding his arms.

"Ludo Bagman," Alex concluding with a nod.

"Wait, wait, aren't you both jumping to conclusions here?" Andrew said with a chuckle. "A high chance of being a member still isn't a sure thing, after all. Besides, he's been in Azkaban for years and is only allowed to see relatives, you know that."

"Then maybe it's time to find out who his relatives are," Aurelius said, glancing at Alex.

* * *

Dale craned his neck around when he saw Professor Snape step in with Lucky right behind him in a black dress instead of a normal uniform. Quickly Connie and Gary moved over to make room for her at the table, the three of them huddling around her and whispering. At the Slytherin table, Don shook his head disapprovingly.

"Good evening, sorry we're late," Severus began, darting a disapproving look towards the three chatterers at the Gryffindor table. They quickly quieted down. "I hope you had a good holiday, or the very least better than mine. As you can see, with the exception of Professor Craw, all the staff are back and ready for the second half of the school year. And no, you may not use the excuse that 'you didn't think x professor would be coming back' as an excuse for not doing any homework you were assigned over the holiday," he said, getting a nervous chuckle from some of the students with a few grimaces mixed in.

"Professor Craw will be returning, but is currently on a personal leave of absence. In the interim, Professor Willowby will be filling in for her," Severus explained. Corey gave a tentative wave and a nervous smile from his seat beside Severus, trying not to grimace when Natalie, Ambrose and Lindsay got their table sections clapping in support. "Other than that, it's business as usual, so let's all concentrate on getting back into our routines and putting our best efforts forward, shall we? All for one, and one for all," he added and sat down, Hermione giving him a nod and a smile in response.

"You had to say that, didn't you?" Corey said.

"Just my way of thanking the staff," Severus admitted. He gestured towards the plates, which contained each Professor's favorite foods. "I do not think things would have gone quite so smoothly without your support."

"We were just doing our jobs, Severus," Hermione said with a grin. "Isn't that right Rhett?"

"Well, that, and I'll admit also to throwing in my support out of guilt when I found out what was really going on with that girl. I really did think Miss Snape was just testing me," Rhett admitted. "I had my fair share of that in Durmstrang."

"There is nothing wrong with being skeptical when it comes to judging someone's intentions, Rhett, as long as you have an open mind in the process," Severus said.

"Meaning?" Rhett asked.

"Meaning, he'd have acted the same way if a student had done anything like that when he was teaching," Hermione put in before Severus had a chance to answer. A round of chuckles and agreements from the rest of the staff cut off his chance for a comeback.

When they had finished eating, Lucky found Dale standing outside the Great Hall.

"Mind if I walk up with you guys?" Dale asked. Connie and Gary shrugged at him, while Dale fell in step alongside Lucky.

"Sorry to hear about your friend," he said quietly.

"He had been sick for a while," Lucky said somberly. "I'm okay, but Jackie was pretty broken up about it. She's staying to take care of his wife, I guess they've all been friends for years. He died on New Year's, you know? Just after midnight. He woke up because of the sound of the crowds outside, and when he heard them singing Auld Lang Syne, he said, 'Listen, that's for me.' Then he fell asleep and didn't wake up again. He sure loved New York. As much as I do, even," she added. "I know, you don't get it."

"Well, I admit to me it's just another venue," Dale said. "But I know how I feel about California, so I can relate."

"You can't love a whole state, that's just crazy," Lucky said, and Dale chuckled at her. "Are things better at home?"

"Sort of. My father still isn't speaking to me. As much as he's always loved media attention good or bad, he's suddenly decided he doesn't like it when they're all focused on him to try and find out why I fired him. At least it took some of the attention off you," Dale said dryly. "Also, my mother says if they lose interest in that and try to get nosy about us again, she's going to go ahead and announce that next month's tour is our last. That ought to be enough of a bombshell for them to choke on for awhile."

"Just don't try quitting again before it's time for it to be over, okay?" Lucky said.

"I won't," Dale promised with a smile, and then noticed that Connie and Gary standing on the landing, staring at him.

"Ravenclaw is that way?" Connie pointed out.

"Oh, yeah," Dale said, waving and walking around to another stairway.

"So, are you guys official yet, or what?" Gary asked bluntly.

"Official what?" Lucky scowled at him, going up the last set of stairs.

"You know, official official," Gary said. "You know..." he said, then began making fish lips.

"You want me to put a fist through that pucker?" Lucky snapped at him, and Gary quickly ducked into the common rooms ahead of them.


	35. Scrutiny

Chapter Thirty-Five

Scrutiny

Aurelius took a special type of wax string he had gotten from Corey and carefully began to line strips of it along the stair. Meanwhile, Adler Bosworth was too busy watching the man standing on the balcony above them to really pay attention to what Aurelius was doing.

"Do you mind going somewhere else? I'm not used to having known criminals watching me while I'm working," Adler said.

"You have deeply offended me, Deputy Bosworth. I am not at all a "known criminal' by any stretch of the imagination," John Carnegie said indignantly before a smug smile crept on his face. "I am an infamously famous criminal."

"It's all right, Adler. He's here because he was the one that discovered the step," Aurelius said calmly. "Do you have any thoughts as to how long this stuff might have been here?"

"No, not really. I'd never have seen it at all if I hadn't known something was there," John admitted. "'Tis a very subtle difference, as you can see."

"Did you question the House Elves about it?" Aurelius asked.

"Yes, and they began fretting about leaving a spot of any kind on the stairs. It became rather clear to me in that moment that none of them knew a thing at all about it," John said. "And considering you can step on the step without slipping at all unless you're jumping on it, it's hard to say how long it's been there."

"Well, let me ask this. Have you noticed my mother hopping stairs before now during this school year?" Aurelius asked.

"Since day one," John said with amusement. "I'm sure I need not tell you that she does it all the time. She hates waiting on those stairs, everyone in the castle knows it, although she does tend to look around to make sure there aren't any students around before she attempts it."

"Have you caught any of the students hopping stairs?" Aurelius asked.

"On occasion, yes, I can say I've handed out my fair share of detentions about it," John agreed. "Every now and then some of the boys especially get cocky and dare each other to jump it. It doesn't happen all that often, but it does happen every year."

"When was the last time you caught anyone doing it?" Aurelius asked.

"Just before the holidays... you know how they get that last week before they go back," John chuckled.

"Any repeat offenders?"

"Only Professor Craw," John said with amusement. "When the students figure out that punishment involves detention, an Owl home, and a mandatory conference with the Deputy Headmaster, they tend not t'do it again."

"It's rather obvious whom this was meant for," Adler said, watching as Aurelius opened potion phials and dropped different test solutions in the different sections he had made with the string.

"What bothers me is that fact that it could have been anyone," Aurelius said. "Whoever put this here must have known there was a chance that a student could have gotten hurt and yet they did it anyway."

"Perhaps they were simply betting that she was the more likely person to have found it, especially considering how many stories away from regular classrooms we are," Adler said.

"But it was still a gamble," Aurelius said. "Not to mention the fact that had my mother died, we very well may have called it an accident, and it could have happened again to someone else."

"Assuming that whoever did this didn't have an opportunity to clean it up," Adler ventured, scrutinizing John.

"Auror Snape, would you be so kind to inform Mr. Bosworth that I wouldn't ever have put a student much less a professor in danger before he dares to suggest my name in connection with this?" John said, eyeing Adler in return.

"I would never make such a suggestion," Adler said coolly. "Not unless I was ready to make an arrest, that is."

"He didn't do it, Adler," Aurelius said, turning his attention towards his work. "Whatever this stuff is, the tests aren't showing anything, and the nullifying solution I put in this section didn't work either. I'm going to have to take the entire step back with me to the lab."

"I was afraid you were going to say that," John admitted. "Let me go get a replacement step," he said, carefully skirting around them and down towards the closest maintenance closet.

Maurice stepped back from the balcony he was standing on and slipped down the corridor and behind an ornate grandfather clock into the passages. He counted the corridors and doors that he passed and then took a hard right, the passage between the wall narrowing quite a bit before he came out in one of several passages that ended just outside the Slytherin rooms.

The rest of his housemates were just starting to emerge from their rooms for breakfast, some looking dead on their feet while others sat at tables in the common room trying to finish up on some last minute homework. When he opened the door, Max and Cain looked up at him thoughtfully.

"There you are! What were you doing up so early? Did you get lost on the way to the bathroom or something?" Max asked.

"I didn't go to the bathroom. I was doing some reconnaissance," Maurice explained.

"Since when do you do your own reconnaissance?" Cain asked.

"This time it proved to be safer, actually. I don't think my nephew would have let anyone else listen in," Maurice said, digging in his desk for something.

"Are you coming down to breakfast? We have Herbology today, you know," Garvan reminded them.

"You three go on. I'm going to go visit my sister before class," Maurice said.

"Tell her we wish her well... but tell her she can take her time getting back to class," Cain added, getting a dirty look from Maurice knowing full well he simply didn't want to have regular homework again.

"See you in class, Maurice," Garvan said, and the three of them walked out.

Maurice waited until they were well out of the room before he got into the drawer by the bed and pulled out a parchment, rereading carefully before rolling it up and putting it in a scroll case.

Upstairs, Jennifer was glaring fiercely at that morning's paper, which read _Monkey Paw's Curse Strikes again!_ Growling, Jennifer wadded up the paper and tossed it across the room. Ginny turned and put a hand on one hip.

"If I knew you were going to get yourself worked up, I would never have given you that paper," Ginny scolded her. "What's wrong this time?"

"I am _not_ cursed!" Jennifer said angrily.

"Of course you're not!" Ginny said.

"It's bad enough hearing about it in the_ Oracle_, must the _Prophet_ print that as well?" Jennifer said.

"Well, if you actually read the entire article, you would see that it points out that the Ministry suspects foul play," Ginny said.

"To which Coventry replied, 'the silly allegations of foul play are simply the Ministry's way of preventing panic of having a chronically cursed professor teaching their children.' What a pain in the ass he's become! You know, I've never liked his wife. She's a bitter woman who likes to take out her frustration on others, but I must admit that I am starting to understand how she got that way!" Jennifer seethed.

"Jennifer, really! If you keep carrying on like this, I'll have to call Sagittari in. You're supposed to be resting! Here, let me get you something to calm you down," Ginny said, but then paused when she saw someone peering in the door. "Hello, Maurice."

"Hello, Madame Potter. Might I see Professor Craw?" Maurice asked.

"If you suppose it'll calm her down," Ginny said dryly.

"Craws don't like to be stuck in bed. We'd much rather be out doing things," Maurice observed.

"So I've noticed," Ginny said with amusement, and then stepped over to the other side of the room to dig into the potion cabinet.

"Come sit down, Maurice. I hope you're not skipping breakfast," Jennifer tsked openly.

"I wasn't really hungry anyhow," Maurice said, and found a plate with a crumpet in his face. Knowing better than to refuse, Maurice took the plate, but set it on the side table when he sat down. "I'd rather not get my hands buttery just yet," he explained when she squinted at him. "See, I brought you something, although I'm quite sure you won't like it. It was the only gift I could think of in such short notice... but it is a secret from Father."

"What secret?" Jennifer asked, her expression instantly changing to one of curiosity as he held out a scroll case. Studying his face, she broke out into a smile and took the case, nudging him to go ahead and eat as she pulled out the parchment.

"The winter night is cold and still; the ground and water frozen yet glistening like the surface of the moon, lifeless and silent despite its beauty. But soon the sky will turn towards dawn; and with it comes the promise of spring drawing nearer every morning, renewing the earth, and bringing us hope for the day to come," Jennifer read, stunned in spite of herself. "Wow, Maurice, that's brilliant."

"It's not really any classical form, I just matched the syllables, really, but Earsinge is always telling me that poetry doesn't have to be perfect," Maurice said.

"Well, I think it's perfect, and it's exactly the sort of message I needed right now. Perhaps it'll bring me some luck... the good kind for a change," Jennifer chuckled.

"If you ask me, I rather think you were very lucky to survive that fall," Maurice said.

"That wasn't luck, that was me."

Jennifer looked up to see Severus stepping in the door, her face brightening dramatically.

"I've always said one makes their own luck, whether it's good or bad," he added expressionlessly.

"Do you know, Severus, I think I'm finally beginning to agree with you," Jennifer admitted.

"It is high time you agreed with me on something," Severus decided. Jennifer shook her head at him with a smile. "And just what have the two of you been up to this morning?"

"Just visiting of course," Maurice said, getting up. "I suppose I really ought to get ready for class."

"Thank you Maurice," Jennifer said. "Tell everyone not to worry and that I'll be back in the classroom soon."

"I will," Maurice promised, nodding to Severus and giving a quick wave to Ginny as he walked out the door.

But Maurice wasn't planning to head straight to Herbology, for he knew he probably had enough time for one more errand. Pulling out a small book out of his pocket, he flipped through it to check his notes before making his way to the secret passages.

"Of course she's going to be all right," Lucky said firmly to Ambrose and Delia as they walked towards their History class. "The Professor says the stairs caught her as they swung around and kept her from falling any further."

"You know for someone who's cursed, it sounds like she was awful lucky to have survived that," Delia said thoughtfully.

"That's what I think, so ignore the paper hogwash. Doctor Sagittari is only keeping her there for observation on account of her having a concussion. She'll be back to work in no time, you'll see."

"So much for homework-free Potion classes," Gary said. Connie threw him a dirty look.

"Well I for one will be glad to have her back, even if Professor Willowby did turn out to be a decent teacher," Delia said.

"Me too. Even with him keeping up the breakfast cart and all, it's just not the same without Professor Craw in there," Ambrose said. "Besides, it's kind of awkward having my brother teaching class."

"How do you think I feel?" Lucky said. Ambrose grinned at her.

"Worse than that, how do you think I feel?"

Lucky and the others looked up to see Maurice, who was leaning on a statue of an old bearded wizard wearing a wide-brimmed hat filled with tiny birds.

"It feels weird, I'd bet," Ambrose grinned at him. "Hullo, Maurice!"

"Hi, Maurice. What are you doing over here?" Delia asked curiously. "I don't remember seeing you at breakfast."

"I've been visiting my sister, actually," Maurice said. "Might I see you for a moment, Fortuna?"

"Ya, sure," Lucky shrugged. "You guys go ahead."

"Well, don't be late, Lucky. Don't forget we're starting on group research papers today," Ambrose reminded her.

"Can I be in your group?" Delia asked Ambrose.

"Sure!" Ambrose said.

"Hey! They're groups of four! If Connie and Lucky join, where does that leave me?" Gary complained.

"Out of luck, I suppose," Connie teased him, but Gary wasn't amused at all.

"So what's up, Unc?" Lucky asked after the others walked down the corridor away from him.

"I thought you would be interested to hear what I learned this morning," Maurice said quietly. "See, I used the back passages to get into that section of staircases they closed off to see if Aurelius and Bosworth found anything about what happened yesterday."

"I'm surprised you weren't caught," Lucky said.

"Aurelius knew I was there, actually. I realized he had his Snoop Chain on when he started looking up the stairwell so I stepped out long enough he could see it was me," Maurice explained. "Bosworth was too busy worrying about Carnegie to notice me. He suspected that Carnegie might have something to do with the slippery step, but my nephew is convinced that he isn't involved. Aurelius seemed genuinely bothered by the fact that it might have been a student trying to jump staircases instead of my sister, rules or no rules."

Lucky squinted at that.

"And you say Bosworth thought it was Carnegie?" Lucky said.

"At first, but Aurelius was quick to assure Bosworth that it wasn't him," Maurice said.

"Yeah, but what if they had sent someone else who wasn't a Truth Seeker? They'd have brought him in for questioning," Lucky mused.

"Likely," Maurice agreed. "Look, to be perfectly honest, it could very well be someone attempting to bump off my sister again, but Aurelius wasn't completely convinced. If they were trying to kill my sister, why would you put a trap somewhere where anyone could have gotten hurt, and not necessarily your intended target?"

"I suppose to make it more believable as an accident," Lucky said thoughtfully. "I mean, if she had died, nobody would have known about the step at all."

"Until the next person slipped on it," Maurice said darkly.

"Yeah, that's not good. Whoever did this didn't care who might get hurt in the process," Lucky sighed.

"Exactly. It could have happened to anyone, which means Jennifer may not have been the actual target at all," Maurice said.

"Yeah but... well, it was more likely to be her, statistically, you know. Everyone knows how she goes up those stairs, and students who get caught doing it get in trouble for it," Lucky admitted.

"But whoever did this still took that risk, which puts the motive in question," Maurice said.

"Yeah," Lucky said. "I gotta find out who's tryin' to frame Carnegie. Whoever is doin' it has gotta be someone in the school, and so they could have had the motive and opportunity."

"Good point," Maurice agreed. "Anyhow, I thought you'd want to know about it, just in case you had any ideas. I'll let you know if I find out anything else."

"Thanks," Lucky said, and Maurice nodded, slipping back behind the statue. Curiously Lucky took a few steps forward just as one of the wooden panels slid back into place. "Man, that kid still creeps me out," Lucky said to herself before walking to History.

Out back, Max, Cain and Garvan looked up as Maurice slipped into place just as old Professor Sprout hobbled her way into the classroom in the front of the greenhouse.

"Don't tell me, more reconnaissance?" Max murmured to him.

"No need," Maurice said calmly, opening his book.

* * *

Aurelius carefully read each label in the specimen cabinet before bringing out two bottles of tea and a sack lunch, walking around Ginger who was still dropping mixtures into test phials. Setting them in the adjacent room near the sink, Aurelius grabbed his tea and one of the stools, setting it just inside the doorway so he could watch her work.

"That lab coat doesn't do a thing for you," Aurelius decided.

"Gee, thanks," Ginger said dryly, not looking up from her work. "Do you really have to be so damned honest all the time?"

"I think you like me because I'm honest," Aurelius said, smelling the tea cautiously before taking a sip. "You never have to worry about whether my compliments are serious or not."

"True," Ginger said. "But that doesn't mean you shouldn't keep quiet when you don't have something complementary to say."

"I suppose I could try," Aurelius admitted. "But then what if I'm just not in the mood to talk? You'd probably get it into your head that I was thinking bad things about you or something, knowing how you get," Aurelius said.

"Do you mind? You could start practicing being polite right now, you know," Ginger said, pausing a moment so she wouldn't make any mistakes.

"I suppose I could, but I don't think it's going to work," Aurelius decided. "It'd go against my nature. I'm a Snape, after all."

"Don't remind me," Ginger said, setting up the last of the tests and glancing up at the clock on the wall, writing the time down. "That is a strike against you, you know."

"Good thing I have looks and a great personality then," Aurelius said, handing her a bottle.

"Your ego is the second strike," Ginger decided, getting out a sandwich.

"Good thing I've been trained to do my best under pressure then," Aurelius said. "Unless, of course, my job is the third strike."

"No," Ginger said, looking much more serious. "You know, I may not see things from the front lines like you do, Rel, but everything both the LE office and your office investigates come through here at some point. I may not see it first hand, but my imagination makes up for it considering some of what I see as an alchemist. It's nice to know someone's out there doing something about it."

"Even if you know you might wake up in the morning and I might not be there anymore?" Aurelius asked softly.

"Why would I worry? You're the best Auror in Britain," Ginger shrugged.

"Second best," Aurelius corrected automatically.

"Yes, well, I suppose that's a matter of opinion, isn't it?" Ginger said. And despite the fact that neither her expression or demeanor had not changed at all, Aurelius found himself getting lost in what he saw in her face that she wasn't saying.

Abruptly Aurelius caught himself, remembering where they were and pulling quickly back from her.

"You um... do you suppose any of those test solutions are done?" Aurelius asked.

"Oh. Probably," Ginger admitted, quickly eating and cleaning up. She put on a fresh pair of gloves and went back over to check them. "Ah ha... just as I suspected, it's a Kineflub potion mixed with a floor sealant... typical of what we use to waterproof outdoor patios and the like... no wonder it didn't want to come up."

"But it didn't react at all with the Kineflub potion?" Aurelius asked, walking over to the table and looking over her shoulder.

"It must have been bottled just around five Celsius... cool enough for the sealant to gel and to keep the kinetic potion from reacting," Ginger said. "It'd have to be perfectly calculated to keep the two of them in the same bottle without diffusing each other. In fact, I'd go so far to say it had to be made by a professional alchemist."

"A professional alchemist? Any idea who?" Aurelius frowned.

"Not without breaking this down further... let me try to separate more of the sealant. It's a much simpler formula," Ginger said. "I do know one thing, though. I don't see any of the earmarks of someone who learned potions at Hogwarts."

"Really? There can't be many of those, around, can there?"

"Well, they could have come out of Greenburrow Wizardcraft in Ireland, or they could be from some other country," Ginger said. "However, if so I can tell if it was actually created in the country or not from the components used... hang on," Ginger murmured. Aurelius found a mortar pushed at him as she got interested in one of the solutions, holding the phial up to the light as the two separated, a heavy, iridescent substance clumping at the bottom.

"Find something?" Aurelius asked, watching as she dumped out the lighter liquid to get a sample of what was underneath. In fact, it was so clumped that she could actually pick up some of the gooey sample with tweezers, so sticky that it didn't fall off. As she held it up, Aurelius noticed the silvery finish.

"That almost looks like quicksilver..." Aurelius murmured with a frown.

"That's exactly what it is, Aurelius, mercury," Ginger said, confident even before she dropped it in a water solution to test it. "It used to be used in all sorts of sealants and balms in the earlier days of alchemy because of its adaptive properties, and many used it as a base in experiments to transmute other metals. But most wizard alchemists don't use it for balms and sealants these days, and the school doesn't use it at all, since there are plenty of other alternatives for balms that are a lot less toxic. However, I do happen to know that it is still used in gold mines, and used by those who have been around it for so long... and their body's physiology being what it is... they are immune to its effects."

"Goblins," Aurelius said. "Which means this mixture must have been made by..."

"Sludgebat, thank you very much," Ginger said smugly. "In fact, I'm quite positive it came from him now. I'm seeing several other patterns to this formulat that I know he's used in the past to cure his potions."

"Not only that, Sludgebat has had a grudge against Father since before I was born. He wouldn't hesitate to help someone in something like this... Ginger, you're brilliant," Aurelius said, kissing her cheek.

"What, I'm brilliant and that's all I get?" Ginger protested, but Aurelius looked at the open doorway.

"We'll get caught up later. I need to go talk to Harry and figure out how to handle this from here, since goblins are so blasted hard to read... not that he'd be willing to talk to me anyway, being a Snape," Aurelius said.

"I have a feeling he won't be willing to talk to anybody," Ginger said.

"Well, let's see what Harry thinks. I'll see you later..."

"Dinner?" Ginger asked quickly before he could get away.

"I might be late tonight with all this, Ginger. I might not be up to heading down to Spain tonight," Aurelius said in a low voice.

"We could just eat in town for a change," Ginger said.

"Do you really want Andrew to find out about this? I thought you were against that..."

"Trust me, I still am," Ginger said dryly. "But I was thinking maybe you could come over and have dinner at my place tonight."

"Uh... no," Aurelius said, shaking his head. "I'd rather we just take it easy and go golfing this weekend."

"Honestly, Rel! You're not a school boy, there's no reason to be nervous..."

"I'm not nervous," Aurelius said in a low voice. "But I'm not coming over."

"It's just dinner, Rel."

"That's not what you're thinking, Ginger," Aurelius said evenly. "You're hoping that once you get me there, you can convince me to stay." Ginger turned red.

"Fine, be that way! But don't expect me to go out with you again, either. I have no intentions of going out with anyone who is obviously not interested," Ginger said angrily, turning back towards her desk to write up a report on her work.

"If I wasn't interested, I wouldn't have asked you out in the first place," Aurelius said, unfazed by her sudden temper.

"You certainly don't act like it," Ginger snapped, and then tried to pretend that he wasn't still standing there. Aurelius sighed, watching her silently for a moment before glancing towards the open doorway and back again.

"Fine, do you want to get married?" Aurelius asked. Ginger looked up and gawked at him.

"No! Are you crazy? Of course not! Good grief, Rel, we've only been dating for a month!" Ginger said, completely aghast.

"Funny, that's what I was thinking to myself a moment ago," Aurelius said evenly.

"Oh! Rel! Don't be so immature!" Ginger said with exasperation. Aurelius raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything. "How do I explain this? I just want... I just want to get to know you better, that's all. I mean... look, it's not as big of a deal as you're making it out to be, really."

"You don't think it's a big deal?" Aurelius said expressionlessly.

"No...yes! Wait, that isn't what I meant... could you please stop looking at me like that?" Ginger said. "You make me feel like a criminal when you look at me like that. It's not a crime to want to see you, is it?"

"I never said it was. Same time on Saturday?" Aurelius asked.

"Here we go again. You just don't get it, do you?" Ginger said, pushing the report at him.

"I understand completely. I just don't think you understand me," Aurelius said calmly. "I'm not my brother, Ginger."

"Of course you're not! If you were at all like him in any way, I never would have agreed to go out with you in the first place," Ginger said.

"Then don't expect me to act like him. It's bad enough that you're always comparing us in your mind... I know very well you can't help that, but I do have to deal with it. And regardless how much you think my decision is simply because I've never done it before, it doesn't change the fact I don't want the same things out of a relationship than my brother does. I just want one girl. I want it to grow into something I feel I can commit to and with someone who truly wants to commit to me. I have absolutely no intention of going any farther until I'm certain that is where we are heading. I've waited this long, and I can afford to wait until I'm quite positive it's the real thing. And I am sorry if that isn't what you want; I was under the impression that it was, but as you constantly remind me, I am new to this sort of thing and I could've been mistaken. If so, it is rather a shame, because other than that Andrew nonsense, you are exactly what I've been looking for. But if you'd rather play his game, so be it. I only play for keeps," Aurelius said, glancing over the report. "Thanks, by the way. Send me an Owl if you decide you don't want to go this weekend," he added as he swept out of the room. Ginger stared after him for a long time.

"Wow," Ginger said at last, finally remembering to close her mouth.


	36. A Harry Situation

Chapter Thirty-Six

A Harry Situation

Harry carefully pushed away the curtain of dried dragon entrails hanging near the door, attempting not to grimace at either its presence or the price tag on it. It seemed intentionally hung at a height that any goblin who passed through wouldn't have to deal with it but the typical human would. Harry was quite certain that the placement of the offal was intentional; Sludgebat was not overly fond of wizards. Despite this, a surprising number of them tolerated the goblin and his shop for he carried a number of exotics (especially toxic ones) that other alchemists didn't... ingredients that would have required special licenses to try and buy them out of a catalog. He also had the normal components, of course, but the bins that Harry dared to peer into often had a rank or moldy smell to them. The shop itself was badly ventilated and always filled with smoke from whatever it was that Sludgebat happened to be brewing that day. In fact, it was obvious to Harry even from a cursory look why someone like Severus would have no use for either the shop or its curator. Harry picked up a bottle of Flesh-eating Slug Repellant thoughtfully, a curious memory coming back to him. He set it down when he heard movement in the front of the shop and saw the top of a goblin's head and ears visible behind the counter.

Sludgebat climbed onto the stool behind the counter, his black eyes focusing in on the wizard in his shop until recognition took hold.

"Auror Potter," Sludgebat acknowledged, but Harry didn't miss the hint of distaste in the goblin's voice. "It has been a while since you last graced this establishment," he snarled sarcastically. "And since you never buy anything, I suppose you're here on your business again, and not mine."

"I'm looking for information on a potion that was made in this shop, actually. A custom-made potion if I'm not mistaken," Harry said, still going over the shelves and reading bottles and their labels carefully. "A Kineflub potion mixed with a floor sealant."

"Odd combination, isn't it?" Sludgebat said, putting a funnel in a small glass bottle and setting it on the counter.

"Yes, that's why I was hoping you would have remembered something like that," Harry said. "Someone used it on one of the staircases at Hogwarts and it nearly killed a Hogwarts professor."

"Pity," Sludgebat said with a shrug, but Harry couldn't help but wonder how he meant that. "If it did or didn't, it is none of my concern. Any potion out of any apothecary can be deadly if not used properly. As long as I label it and make certain the person receiving the potion is properly trained to use it, I'm covered. I can no more control how its used after that point than a wand smith can be blamed for how a wand is used after it leaves his shop."

"That depends on whether or not you knew what it was going to be used for when you made it, doesn't it?" Harry pointed out. "Why else would anyone make it at all?"

"Perhaps someone wanted a dance floor with a bit more punch," Sludgebat sneered.

"And that someone would be who, exactly?" Harry asked.

"I don't recall," Sludgebat said. Harry sighed and put a heavy coin pouch on the counter, but Sludgebat simply snorted. "You can keep your money, Potter, it's not that sort of memory lapse. I'm no mutant wizard who can recall every potion I've made and for whom. I do a swift business here before the holidays, and I don't have time to question every motive of every person who comes in here. Besides, if I did question my clients, I wouldn't have such a successful business here, would I?" he said with a sneer, slightly amused by the fact that Harry was regarding him with open dislike.

"If you were smart, Sludgebat, you'd go ahead and tell me who bought it," Harry warned. "It might save you from what's going to happen when Snape finds out it came from this shop."

"Let him try! I'm not afraid of Snape!" Sludgebat growled defiantly. "Rest assured that if he comes near here, I have every intention of using my right as a shop owner to defend myself against an unwanted trespasser!"

"You'd have a lot of trouble passing that one off if it's during working hours," Harry pointed out.

"We'll see about that!" Sludgebat snarled and pulled out a large sheet of brown paper from under the counter.

As Harry walked out of the shop, Aurelius watched thoughtfully as the goblin hung up a pair of crudely made signs; one declaring, "NO SNAPES ALLOWED!" while the other read, "TRESSPASSERS WILL BE STABBED ON SIGHT!"

Harry paused and looked back at the window, shaking his head before walking across the street to where Aurelius was standing.

"I see that went well," Aurelius said dryly.

"Better than expected, actually," Harry said. Aurelius raised an eyebrow at him as they began walking down the street towards the Cauldron. "At least I got a time frame... he said he couldn't remember who he made it for because he made it during the rush before the holidays."

"I didn't know there was that big of a market for poisons during the holidays," Aurelius said. "And I don't believe he could have forgotten who he made that potion for considering how specific it was."

"No, I don't believe it either, but whoever it was, he wasn't willing to risk taking money to reveal it," Harry said.

"There's always the dark alley method," Aurelius growled.

"I think a goblin would have a slight advantage over us using that method. Besides, if we did manage to rough him up, the bank would be completely in arms over it and that's the last thing we need right now. Even your father will have to agree with that, considering that trust fund for Leu he's been working on," Harry said.

"I'd remind him of that first if I were you," Aurelius advised. "Because I guarantee you that this isn't going to go over well."

* * *

Jennifer woke up just in time to see Severus slip in the hospital wing carrying a tray in his arms, watching him curiously as he spoke quietly to Sagittari before walking over.

"Good morning," Severus said when he saw she was already awake. Jennifer sat up, the pillows behind her adjusting on their own.

"Well! What's all this?" Jennifer asked curiously, her eyes falling on the tiny vase of Alchemist's Roses even before she turned her attention to the plate, grinning when she saw not only a collection of cheese pastries and a soft boiled egg, there were spinach knishes and Kingler's coffee, and a full glass of milk beside it. "Goodness, Severus! Did you do something wrong?"

"What an odd question. I simply brought you breakfast," Severus protested, but refused to look at her.

"Well it looks like an apology to me, and with roses, no less," Jennifer said, while Severus seemed to be digging in the end table drawer.

"Where are your spectacles?" he asked.

"They're still in my bags from New York, which have probably not yet been put away. Now stop stalling, Severus, and tell me what you've been up to that you feel guilty about, because this is a bit much even considering my tumble."

"That was not a tumble. That was someone intentionally trying to harm you by taking advantage of one of your vices," Severus said sternly.

"Hopping stairs is hardly a vice, Severus," Jennifer chided him.

"That is your opinion. Considering how many times I've had to write you up for it, I tend to disagree," Severus said.

"If you were trying to win me over on something with this breakfast, Severus, you're getting off on the wrong foot," Jennifer decided.

"Yes," Severus mused. "Very well, I'll stay away from professional discussions, and really this is a more personal matter anyhow. I thought I had better explain to you why I borrowed a bit more out of the retirement since you've been gone."

"Oh no, not again," Jennifer chuckled. "Are the football stands taking more money than everyone thought?"

"No, it wasn't for a school project... from what John has been telling me, everything seems to be going well as far as that one is concerned. This is something else entirely, actually. Do you happen to recall the boy I saw on our boating trip over the summer?"

"Yes, of course, and you saw him at the bank, I think you said," Jennifer nodded, nibbling on a knish.

"Yes, and I understand why now. You see, Llewellyn is the victim of a Firstborn loan. When his parents died he had no other relatives, so the goblins themselves took him in. In fact, they tack the cost of his care and board onto his bill," Severus said.

"Oh, that poor boy!" Jennifer said with a frown.

"Apparently the reason I discovered him first in the water was because his job is to dive wrecks for the goblins because he's able to breathe and function normally underwater. The Ministry knows about it and keeps an eye on things, but won't intervene because of political reasons. So I spoke to Harry and Sirius over the matter and we have started a trust fund to pay off his debt," Severus said. Jennifer smiled warmly at him. "They're also going to help me find a safer home for him."

"What about us?" Jennifer said immediately, but Severus had been expecting it.

"Jennifer, Leu is in many ways still suffering from the trauma of losing his parents and he is going to need constant attention for awhile..."

"So did Corey, Severus," Jennifer pointed out.

"Corey was already Hogwarts age, and never left our side. If we took Leu in, we wouldn't be able to be there as much as he would need us to be," Severus said quietly.

"But we could have him stay in Hogsmeade with Corey's family during the day so that he'd always be near by, and then perhaps we could take turns going home at night or something..."

"I'd very much like to sleep in the same bed once in a while, Jennifer. And the facts are we have full plates and very busy lives."

"We've always made time for family, Severus, and made time when they needed us," Jennifer argued, but then paused and sighed. "I suppose not as much as they wanted us to be there, though." Severus frowned at her sudden change of tone. "I'm sorry, Severus. Maybe you're right. He does deserve better parents than us," she decided, picking at her food looking depressed.

"Jennifer, not once in this conversation did I say anything about us not being good parents. I simply stated that I didn't think either of us had the time right now," Severus said.

"No, of course we don't. Besides, I'd hate to imagine what the other children would think if we did take him in. They'd probably think that we were being irresponsible again, and they'd be right. I only brought it up because it seemed to me like you had gotten attached to him, but I suppose that's no excuse either, is it? We have to think of what's best for Leu, that's all that matters. Don't worry about the money, Severus. After all, you are doing the right thing," Jennifer said with a weak smile. "I'm sure whatever family Leu ends up in will be splendid because I know perfectly well that you'd never let him be put in a family that isn't right for him."

"No, I most certainly wouldn't," Severus agreed.

But after they had eaten and Severus began walking up towards the Headmaster's Study to get some work done, he found himself quite bothered by Jennifer's sudden change of heart. It was obvious she had been thinking of the conversation she had had with the other children just before Christmas, but he had not realized until then just how much that conversation was still hanging over her. In fact, he found himself wondering why he felt like he had lost the argument altogether when she had chosen to take his side. It was only after he had sat down at his desk and began staring at his paperwork that he realized how much he had been counting on her winning the argument.

There was a brisk knock on the door and Severus waved it open to let Hermione in. She walked in with papers in hand, pausing when she saw Severus sitting at his desk, brooding darkly.

"Rough morning?" Hermione asked sympathetically, but wasn't expecting an answer so continued. "I'm afraid I have more bad news then. The school's insurance rates just went through the roof. It's not all Lucky's doing either; after that incident on the stairs, the insurance company decided to 'reevaluate' the risks of moving stairs as well. We're going to have to pull out the budget and rework it, but I'm sure there are some corners we can cut somewhere to make up for it," she said, hoping she sounded reassuring enough. "There's also a letter asking if we want to opt in for more coverage against 'malignant curses.' To be honest, my first instinct was to tell them where to stuff it."

Severus made the mistake of glancing at the bottom number and cringed, pushing it away.

"Good news, Hermione. Do you have any good news?" Severus asked critically.

"Oh, well, I do have one piece of good news. I was saving it for an emergency... but then, I suppose this is an emergency considering how things are going, isn't it?" Hermione said. Severus simply stared at her. "The school board approved your recommendation to have Minerva fill Coventry's seat."

Severus looked up with surprise and then his shoulders relaxed, Hermione smiling softly as he reached for his coffee and allowed himself a moment to lean back in his chair.

"Finally, a board I'm going to be able to work with," Severus said, gesturing to the tray.

"Not that I expect them to always agree with you," Hermione warned.

"That was never the point. I simply wanted a board that I felt actually cared about the school and not their personal agendas," Severus said.

"Well, there's still Balmweed, Severus," Hermione pointed out, getting herself a cup of tea.

"Balmweed is stuffy, short-sighted and opinionated," Severus said. "But he does believe he is acting within the best interests of the school, no matter how backwards those beliefs can be. That I can handle, especially when I know now that his more outrageous ideas will never get past the rest of them. It was the fact that there has always been an antagonist on the board that has acted against me personally instead of just my policies that bothered me." Hermione nodded thoughtfully at that, sipping her tea. Just then, the portrait of Armando Dippet cleared his throat.

"Harry Potter is on his way up, Professors," Armando said.

"I suppose it would be asking too much if he had good news as well," Hermione ventured.

"No, he would have sent Aurelius unless it was something he didn't want Aurelius to handle," Severus said. He leaned over to pull the knob on the stairs, but there was a knock on the doors. "He must have taken the Door Lift," he commented as Hermione walked over and opened the door, putting a hand on her hips.

"Being lazy today, are we?" Hermione challenged him as she let him in.

"Sorry, for some reason I don't trust those stairs all of the sudden," Harry joked.

"Neither does the insurance company," Hermione said dryly. "Do you need anything else before I head out, Severus?"

"Schedules for the pre-OWLS interviews?" Severus reminded her.

"I was waiting for Jennifer to officially get back to work on those. I suppose I'll go talk to her about it now," Hermione said.

"I'll be down in a bit to say hello to Jennifer and Ginny," Harry said, walking further into the room as Hermione left. "How is Jennifer doing, by the way?"

"She'll be all right. Doctor Sagittari is simply keeping her under observation because of the severity of her concussion, but she is chomping at the bit to get out of there," Severus admitted.

"I bet," Harry said. "Anyway, were you able to get some estimates on how much Leu owes the bank from Balderdash?"

"Yes, although it was more than I expected once they put in interest and penalties and so forth," Severus sighed, digging through his papers to find it. "Still, it should be manageable... I think I'll ask Francis about it next, I'm sure he'd be more than happy to contribute."

"I'm sure he will," Harry agreed. "And I'm glad to do my part. It's a great thing you're doing, Severus, stepping in for Leu like this."

"I couldn't in good conscience leave the boy in such a position, could I?" Severus shrugged. "Although I still think the Ministry should have stepped in sooner."

"Well, that's politics for you," Harry said. "Hopefully we can keep the goblins placated long enough to pay it off and get him out of there."

"I don't see why they would stop it," Severus said, but then caught the expression on Harry's face. "Is there something you're not telling me? Is there some reason they would be against this?"

"Not as long as you don't overreact to what I'm about to tell you," Harry said, Severus squinting suspiciously in response. "Ginger was able to determine who made the potion used on the steps because it contained several components in it that are toxic to humans."

"Sludgebat," Severus growled immediately, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "I should have known he had something to do with it! He's been trying to get even with me for years, and that run-in I had earlier in the year with him probably only refreshed his memory to that fact! Who did he make it for?"

"That I don't know, I couldn't get him to say. Even a bribe didn't work..."

"Either he was paid much better for making it or he's afraid of getting taking down with whoever ordered it then," Severus snarled.

"Probably. He did slip up and mention that it was made during the Christmas rush, so at least we have a time frame. I'm wondering if someone might have snuck in during the holiday with everything that was going on then."

"Considering how little time I ended up spending here during that period I would say it is highly likely, although to be fair, Tonks is well versed in the castle's security," Severus said, getting up and pacing. "But that doesn't make sense, considering it was well publicized by that point that we had all resigned, so where would be the motive?"

"We've been wondering that as well, actually. Aurelius isn't convinced that Jennifer was the main target because it could have been anyone. Whoever did this could have been someone simply trying to take advantage of the situation, considering how publicized that curse was," Harry pointed out.

"That stupid imaginary curse!" Severus snapped. Suddenly he stopped in his tracks, turning as white as a sheet. His eyes then darted over to his desk and he stormed over to it, shuffling through the papers on his desk.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"A motive!" Severus snarled, thrusting the insurance papers at him. "Greed! The only motive Nelson ever has!"

"Wow, that's quite a rate hike, isn't it?" Harry admitted, looking the numbers over.

"He was here in the school the day I resigned. He came along with Balmweed and Coventry to warn me what having a fire sensitive would cost the school. Apparently he decided to take some insurance of his own in case Fortuna did get taken out of school so he'd have reason to raise the school's rates anyway. I never should have allowed him to linger in the school! I had a hold on the Door Lift to give myself some extra time to prepare for them and now I see I shouldn't have done it. Who else would have benefited from this, and who else do you know that would do something like this without any concern over who it might hurt?"

"There are a few, but I admit your theory does make a lot of sense," Harry agreed, standing up. "I'm going to start working on Sludgebat and see if Lunette's free to come down here. They're not likely to let Aurelius testify considering who got hurt if Nelson is behind it."

"Have her ask him about Corey while you're at it. I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't trying to take advantage of Corey's situation as well!" Severus said angrily.

"I'll go downstairs and talk to Corey about it right now," Harry promised. "Don't worry, Severus. If he is responsible for this, he's not going to get away with it."

"Good, then I'm going to make sure that no one else trying to ruin my family gets away with it either! I am through with everyone using the excuse of this silly curse to try and take advantage of us!"

"What are you going to do?" Harry asked with alarm.

"I'm going to turn my family's luck around to the point we're uncursable. I'm going to make sure that everyone responsible for making our lives hell knows exactly what it's been like having their 'luck' taken away, and I'm going to find out who was behind those murders that started the idea that paw was cursed to begin with! Armando, I want Delia Agate up here right after breakfast, and Fortuna during her next period free. Make an appointment with Thomas for lunch at the Ministry, have Vallid know I may need to call in her retainer. And at some point today, I need to go talk to Earsinge about that business with Sludgebat."

"I'd like to go along for that last one," Harry put in quickly.

"I also want you to let Hermione know that I need to see both Ron and Joanie and I'd appreciate it if she would get in touch with them," Severus added.

"Yes, Professor," Armando said cordially.

"Harry, would you mind terribly if I borrowed Aurelius for the afternoon? I think he would be quite helpful digging up some dirt," Severus said, shifting his papers on his desk.

"Would it matter if I objected?" Harry joked. "Never mind, I know better than to get in your way when you get like this. When did you want to try and track down Earham?"

"I don't want to hold you up, but allow me one student conference first before we go. That ought to give you time to talk to Corey and visit... what is it now Armando?" Severus abruptly asked when the portrait cleared his throat for the second time.

"Professor Heron appears to be on his way up, sir," Armando said.

"Oh, what does he want? Doesn't he know I'm busy? No, I suppose not," Severus said in annoyance. Harry simply stood there with a sympathetic smile, not daring to say anything as Severus popped the doors open with a wave of the hand while a very surprised Rhett stood on the other side. But Rhett quickly he gathered his wits, striding in. "What is it, Rhett? Don't you have an early class today?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but this is quite important," Rhett said, glancing at the other man in the room and wondering why he looked familiar. "Someone broke into my office last night, and it was someone who obviously knew what they were doing."

"Oh?" Severus said.

"After some rather unpleasant instances at Durmstrang, I rather got into the habit of placing spacers in my drawers and in the door, and they'd all been moved when I went into my office this morning. Despite that, there was no signs of forced entry, let alone charms or curses on the doors, windows or fireplace, and when I questioned the paintings as to if they had seen anyone in my office, they flat out refused to answer."

"Anything stolen?"

"No, but that is beside the point. Someone did go through my office, and I think it is obvious who it was," Rhett said.

"Yes it is, quite obvious," Severus agreed. "As it so happens, I just scheduled a conference with said student, so I will be happy to deal with it for you."

"A student?" Rhett repeated in complete surprise. "Surely you can't believe a student is responsible."

"They can be responsible at times, but they can also be rather irresponsible as well. No matter, it'll be taken care of. Now if you don't mind, Auror Potter and I have a great deal of business to do so I..."

"That's where I've seen you! You're Harry Potter!" Rhett said. Harry smiled sheepishly when he offered him his hand, while Severus rolled his eyes. "It is good to meet you at last. Hermione and your wife talk about you all the time."

"Speaking of which, I think I'd better pop down and see Ginny..."

"Oh, let me walk you down," Rhett said.

"Good idea," Severus said before Harry could think of a suitable reply. "Maybe you can keep each other out of trouble for an hour or so."

"And who's going to keep you out of trouble then?" Harry challenged him as he paused at the door.

"No one. That is the entire point," Severus said, pulling over his appointment book.


	37. Countercursed

_A/N Book finished, just needs edits now... Forty-Two Chapters, expect daily updates from here out, double-check your chapter numbers. I really hope you like it! It was a bear to get through, maybe more on that later, but the bottom line is, when you do a write a book about Murphy's Law, it tends to rub off, heh, so beware if you ever end up doing it yourself :) Thanks for reading, thanks for reviews, and welcome to the new readers, I've picked up a few lately... thanks for the interest in my series. JCWriter._

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Countercursed

Abraxus slipped out of bed as quietly as he could, grimacing at the soft yet persistent snore of his wife coming from the other bed. Carefully he crept out of the room and down the hall to his office and over to the in and out boxes hanging on the open window. Placing a small heavy pouch with a tag in the out box, Abraxus went through the post in the inbox until he found a particular envelope and pulled it out of the pile. He was stuffing it in his pocket and was about to turn away, when he noticed a small velvet bag hidden under the pile of letters in the in box. Curiously he pulled out the lumpy parcel and pulled open the drawstring. As the monkey paw fell out into his hand, Abraxus howled in sheer terror.

* * *

Byron Nelson had arrived at his financial office, which despite its downtown location was filled with magical devices from floating dictation pens to self-updating schedules and stock boards. He glanced at the boards thoughtfully for a while before he noticed his schedule had him at a Muggle bank meeting and went to his private office to change and get his notes.

"Good morning, sir," said a House Elf dressed in a toga made out of paperclips and memo paper. "You have a meeting at the other office this morning, sir."

"So I've already noticed. I will be probably be out all day. You know how to get in touch with me if you need to but do _not_ get in touch with me again unless it's an emergency! Don't forget what happened last time you interrupted me at a meeting with a triviality!" Byron said, and the House Elf immediately shrank back.

"Oh no, sir! I won't sir!" he quivered. "Will there be anything else, sir?"

"Have you gone through the post yet this morning?"

"Yes, sir. I almost forgot to ask if you were expecting any special packages in the post, sir?"

"Special packages?" Byron squinted, straightening his tie before pulling out his wand.

"Yes sir, right here sir," the House Elf said. "There was no tag, sir." Byron quickly murmured a protection spell and backed up into the other room pointing his wand at it while the forlorn House Elf watched his master from he was standing, quite sure what was going to happen next.

"Stand along the back wall and open it!" Byron ordered.

"Yes, sir," the House Elf sighed and did as he was told, bracing himself as he slowly opened the draw string and pulled out the object. He opened a cautious eye when it didn't explode, then opened both eyes. "It appears to be a shriveled hand, sir," he said in a quivering voice.

"What?" Byron said, casting a few identification spells on it. When they showed it to be non-magical, Byron strode back into the room and took the monkey paw from the nervous House Elf, staring at it.

"Snape," Byron snarled. "Well, he isn't going to intimidate me with his macabre messages. Even if the goblin talked, which I highly doubt, no one is going to take an extremist goblin's word over mine," he said firmly.

"No, of course they wouldn't, sir," the House Elf agreed, following meekly at Byron's heels as he strode towards the door.

"Still, no reason to tempt fate," Byron mused. "Why don't you go spy on that wretched green charlatan since you have nothing better to do today?"

"Yes, sir! Straight away, sir," the Elf said and immediately disappeared. Tossing the paw aside, Byron left the room, a multitude of clicks and clangs coming from the door as he shut it. He wasn't in the room when one of the lines on the board began to plummet.

* * *

Sludgebat was in the middle of a large batch of oatmeal-flavored rat poison when he saw the shadow of a bird attempting to navigate through his sharply spiked windows.

"No owls in my shop!" the goblin snarled ferociously, and the shadow disappeared. As he went to a shelf full of bottles to try and decide what concoction to throw in next, he heard something drop out of the chimney flu and onto the floor.

Muttering to himself about being interrupted at all, Sludgebat snatched the small pouch and opened it, staring at the monkey paw thoughtfully. Experimentally he smelled it, and then bit one of the fingers cautiously. Shrugging, he tossed it into a large jar labeled, "Pickled Monkey Parts" sitting on one of the shelves and went back to work.

* * *

**LOCATION OF CURSED MONKEY PAW UNKNOWN!**

**Thomas Craw, former owner of said cursed paw, stated after a casual query that he had 'ridded' himself of the paw some time ago after several highly publicized accidents surrounding the curse inflicted his daughter. "There was no curse. It was just an old witch doctor's toy," Craw confided to photographer Colin Creevy. "I gave it to a friend to get rid of it, and I think he sold it. Who knows where the f-----g thing is now." When asked if he was concerned about its unknown location, Craw stated. "I have more important things to do. The Ministry and all the experts have declared there was no curse on it, so who cares? I think it's time we got to work catching criminals instead of a silly fetish that was never anything but a scapegoat to begin with." The current Minister of Magic, Draco Malfoy, is said to have firmly agreed with Craw's statement but refused to comment further at the press conference later that evening outlining what he would like to accomplish in his next term should he win reelection (see page 2.)**

"Here it says Coventry threw another lavish party at his mansion again. Looks like he's winning more of the geriatric vote," Bobby sniggered. Dale looked up from his own paper. "Polls think he might even carry London."

"There is no way Coventry is going to win over Malfoy, Bobby. Most of our kind are scattered in out of the way places, and most of them are voting for Malfoy," Dale said.

"You hope," Bobby said.

"Don't you?" Dale challenged him.

"Sure, but I know better than to count on it. You shouldn't get so optimistic," Bobby warned. "Anything can happen."

"There's Dale!" Dale looked up to see Paula walking up with Kim and some of the other first year girls crowding in behind her. "We were afraid you would have left already."

"Actually, we should be, we're going out to work on the stands today," Dale said quickly.

"Well, we were just wondering if what the paper said was true," Paula said.

"If what was true?" Dale asked.

"About you almost quitting Second Chance," Paula explained. Baffled, Bobby began going through the paper in his hand, but there was no mention of Dale anywhere in the _Prophet_. "They said that you were going planning to quit for good but Lucky talked you into staying."

"Oh. Yes, she did, actually," Dale said solemnly. "I was angry at the media and at my father about the things they were saying about her so I quit, but she wouldn't let me. She thought I should wait and leave on my own terms." Paula nodded slowly.

"That was pretty brave, considering everything she's been through," Kim said carefully.

"It's no more than she would have done for any of her friends," Dale assured them. "Speaking of which, I really need to get out to the pavilion, so I'll see you girls later. Coming Robert?"

"Let's go then," Bobby said, getting up and following him towards the exit, glancing over his shoulder at the group of young girls there were now huddled together talking. "What do you suppose all of that was about? And which paper?" Bobby asked.

"I have no idea, but at least they had the good sense to come to me about it instead of just taking the paper at face value," Dale said. "Come to think of it, they almost treated me like another student that time."

"Don't let it go to your head," Bobby advised with a grin as the two of them stepped outside. Almost immediately, the two of them found themselves loosening their coats as they were taken by surprise by the unseasonably warm weather. "Hullo! I think it's safe to say that we very well might have an early spring this year!"

"And what was it that tipped you off? Are the ewes producing milk now? Did you see a groundhog? Have you been observing some ancient ritual involving bird or caterpillar sightings? Or a mushroom ring left by spring faeries?" Dale teased him.

"Nope, I got a much better indicator than that," Bobby assured him.

"You mean like the nice weather?" Dale said.

"Nope. That sign over there," Bobby said, pointing to where Lucky was out in the middle of a muddy field slamming a line of footballs into the net to test her shooting leg.

"You have a point," Dale admitted with a grin, and the two of them walked over.

"Hey! The stands aren't going to get done with you out here!" Bobby shouted at her.

"Like it's gonna get done with you two piggin' out in the Great Hall!" Lucky shouted back, bringing half the field with her in the process. Dale shook his head and pulled out his wand long enough to knock all the mud off her Preds as she stepped up on more solid ground.

"Thanks," Lucky said. "Everyone else is here already, you know."

"Bobby was hungry," Dale explained.

"Hey! Don't blame it on me! You're the one who gets a slice of toast and half a grapefruit then eats it like it was your last meal or something. He takes forever," Bobby confided in Lucky.

"Yeah, I noticed that too," Lucky agreed.

"I find if I eat slow enough I can trick myself into believing I'm eating more," Dale explained.

"You and your dumb diets," Bobby snorted. "You are what you eat, you know. If you keep this up, you're going to look like a stalk of celery after awhile."

"Yeah, he's at least halfway there already," Lucky said, and Bobby nodded in agreement.

"Hey! No fair ganging up on me!" Dale laughed in protest as they stepped in.

"There he is! Hey, Bobby! Can you come teach me that sandpaper charm again?" Gary asked from where he stood holding up part of the framework that Laura and Lindsay were putting together.

"You are so dense! How do you get past your Charms class at all!" Bobby snorted, walking over towards them.

"He gets plenty of help," Connie teased from where she, Helena and Pimra were weatherproofing the boards.

"So what happened last night?" Dale asked Lucky in a low voice the moment Bobby had walked away from them. "I expected you to come back to the library after your meeting with the Professor."

"It ran really late, on account of the fact he found out what we were doing the night before," Lucky said.

"What? He didn't mention anything to me about it," Dale said.

"He didn't know you were there, he just knew I was the one that broke into Heron's office," Lucky explained, wandering over towards the nail buckets.

"Ouch, how much trouble did you get in?" Dale asked.

"None," Lucky shrugged.

"What?" Dale said, stunned.

"He demanded to know what we've been doing and what we were looking for and why we were looking there, and after I told him, he sent me off to look somewhere else. And after I found it, he said it was my lucky day, shooed me out of his office, and told me he'd get back to me later..."

"Wait a minute, Lucky. You found what we were looking for?" Dale asked.

"Yeah, I found out what was behind the cloudy figure, and we weren't as far off as you were thinking I was, either..."

"Hello, Lucky! Hello Dale! Anything interesting going on today?" Delia asked, and the two of them looked up to see Delia and Mike standing there.

"Oh no, not you again," Lucky said with a scowl.

"Delia and Ambrose invited me," Mike explained, but Dale wasn't so sure that Mike was who Lucky was talking about.

"Did you know your name was all over the Muggle papers today, Lucky?" Delia asked.

"Who cares?" Lucky said defensively, pretending to ignore her.

"I wondered what was going on," Dale said thoughtfully. "Kim and Paula were asking me if Lucky talked me into coming back to Second Chance this morning, although I have no idea how they found out about it, considering I hadn't told anyone about that."

"Neither have I," Lucky said, squinting.

"It could have been my mother, considering my parents knew about it," Dale mused.

"Well, I wouldn't worry about it, really," Delia said quickly. "Actually, they're commending you for doing it, Lucky. The media has suddenly decided that maybe you're not so bad after all, especially after Conejo's criminal file got released to the public."

"What?" Dale said with surprise.

"That part I knew about," Lucky admitted, Dale looking over at her questioningly. "The Professor and Counselor Vallid did it, hoping maybe if people knew how much of a creep he was that maybe people would get off my back about it. We had a long talk about it last night, after he warned me what we were planning."

"Well, I think it's working, Lucky. If anything, the media's blaming the government now," Delia said. "What with all your New York teachers' and your sister's teachers complaints over the years, not to mention how many times the police had over there on 'domestic disturbance' complaints, they blame the city for not stepping in."

"It was more complicated than that," Lucky murmured. "My mother wouldn't press charges because she was afraid what would happen to all of us when he got out... we were doomed either way. It was only a matter of time before things went to hell."

"Well, I'm glad you're here, Lucky," Delia decided. "I think there's a lot the rest of us can learn from your perseverance, and I think... well, as horrible as it is that all this happened with the media and board and everything else, maybe it's a good thing it's all out now, because nobody can ever use it against you again. And if they try, you can always deck them."

"Are you guys going to talk all day? I could use some more hands up here!" Ambrose complained from where he stood at the top of the framework, placing boards.

"Come on, Delia," Mike said, hurrying over to help Winnie levitate the boards up, and Delia hurried along behind him.

"You know, Marie, you handled that pretty well," Dale said with a smile.

"Handled what?" Lucky said in confusion as she grabbed a can of nails and the two of them walked over to join Bobby.

"I mean you didn't seem as uncomfortable talking about it as you used to be," Dale explained, "Especially to someone you don't normally talk to about anything personal."

Lucky grew very thoughtful, for she hadn't realized it until he had mentioned it. Finally, she shrugged.

"Maybe she's actually got a point for a change. Maybe it really was a good thing it all came out," Lucky admitted.

"Well, perhaps now you can finally start putting some of those ghosts of yours to rest," Dale said.

"I don't think I want them to rest," Lucky decided. Dale glanced at her curiously. "I think I'd rather act in spite of them instead."

* * *

Jennifer felt wonderful to get back into her professor robes again after all those weeks, and Hermione's proposal to keep Corey on until after the interviews was over was brilliant in Jennifer's mind, for it meant she could witness practically all of them, and many of them she was very curious about.

"I think I still want to be a reporter... for the Wizard Wireless if all goes according to plan," Delia said. "But hopefully one that knows the difference between a true story and one that's simply created for the listeners, regardless of who it hurts."

"My goodness, Delia, you've certainly come a long way," Sally Scribe said, unable to hide her surprise. "I do believe that the Order of the Owl has been good for you."

"I definitely think so," Craw agreed with a smile, and Weasley nodded as well.

"Well! You'll need an outstanding in History, of course, acceptable in everything else, although knowing you, you'll pull off all E's in your off subjects," Scribe winked. "And you'll want to continue in History, of course, and Journalism, and you should have an extra year in Muggle Studies as well as Divination, since I imagine you'll have to know something about weather forecasting. And um... it also might not hurt to learn how to write more legibly in the classes that require you to take your own notes." Delia let out a short sigh of exasperation at that.

"Very well!" Delia said.

"By the way, thanks for giving Professor Willowby the idea of using the dictator pens for his class lectures and notes, Delia," Craw said with an amused smile. "It's going to make my life a lot easier than if he had to get me back up to speed verbally."

"You're welcome, Professor Craw," Delia said with a smile, and then strode out of the room as if she owned it.

Just outside, Ambrose grabbed her arm, waiting for the next student to go in behind her before asking Delia how it went.

"Rather well, I should say, although I am going to have to take another year of Muggle Studies and Divination, and I need an Outstanding in History, of course," Delia said.

"I can help you with History and Divination, Delia, don't worry about that!" Ambrose assured her, then the two of them watched the door until it opened again and it was Ambrose's turn to go in.

"I have a feeling this one will be easy," Professor Weasley said with amusement.

"It should be, since I imagine I've talked to all of you about it all year long," Ambrose agreed with a grin.

"For the record then, Mr. Tinker?" Scribe said with a smile.

"I want to be a writer, especially about history," Ambrose said. "Oh, and I plan to go to school for some extra classes abroad once I graduate, to get more experience of the outside world and to expose myself to differing viewpoints."

"A very wise decision for you, I think," Scribe agreed. "You'll need an Outstanding in History, of course, and although you could probably get by with A's in the others, the higher you can get on your other subjects the better, since when researching the history of individuals they will no doubt be specialists in a variety of fields that you should know the fundamentals about. You should continue in all the main subjects, Ambrose, and I would also recommend at least one more year of Muggle Studies if not two, because there will be times when you want to compare our history to theirs."

"Yes, Professor Scribe," Ambrose grinned. "Thanks!" Scribe looked as pleased as punch as he walked out the door, while Jennifer curiously attempted to tug at Scribe's sheet.

"Just how many Hufflepuffs do you have pegged this to be History majors next year, anyway?" Jennifer asked.

"Oh, mind your own business," Sally said. Hermione chuckled in response.

It wasn't until the afternoon that any Gryffindors would be done, and Jennifer couldn't help but be anxious knowing that Lucky was one of them... and worst, one of the last ones scheduled for the day, thanks to her extra Arithmantics course. At least it was obvious what field she was going in, Jennifer thought with amusement. It had been a bit of surprise to her when Gary announced he wanted to try for Law Enforcement; but no one blinked at Connie's decision to want to go into a career in one of the Ministry's social department.

As Lucky came in, she suddenly looked uncomfortable when she noticed that Jennifer was in there. In fact, she looked so uncomfortable that Jennifer had to resist the impulse to pull down her spectacles to get a better look at her. She couldn't help but wonder why it would make Lucky nervous at all.

"So, Lucky, have you put any thought into what your intentions are for the rest of school and beyond it?" Professor Weasley asked.

"Sort of, yeah," Lucky said noncommittally.

"And that would be?" Weasley prompted again, wondering about the girl's nervousness herself.

"I want to go to college," Lucky said with a shrug. Professor Craw blinked.

"You want to what?" Craw said in complete confusion.

"You know... college... university, whatever, if I can find a school that'll take me," Lucky shrugged.

"But... why would you even want to do that?" Craw asked blankly.

"You'll need Outstandings in History," Weasley butted in firmly in an attempt to try and remind Craw that she was supposed to be observing. "And honestly, no less than an Exceeds Expectations in both Charms _and_ Transfiguration... I know that's not going to be easy for you, Lucky, but you need to be able to know how to cover yourself if you need to use your magic in an emergency. And you'll most definitely want to take two more years of History since the course also covers basic composition and research. You'll also have to take two more years of Muggle studies for certain, and it's been recommended to me by more than one Professor that you take Ancient Studies, and considering your talent with fire and your need to curb it, I completely agree with them. Also," Weasley added, checking to see if Craw was recovering yet. "You will need a tutor during the summer to help you prepare for the college entrance exams, as well as SAT's if you plan to go to school in the states. Have you thought about what school you would be interested in or what subjects?"

"I dunno, one of the Cambridge schools maybe. It doesn't matter as long as I go," Lucky said, glancing over at Craw's stunned face. "My mother wanted us to go to college, Jackie. And I want to go. I want to study world economics, and maybe find a way I can get that park side penthouse I've always wanted... legally, I mean." Jennifer's shoulders relaxed, resigned despite the fact she still had a lost expression on her face.

"In that case, I recommend you keep taking Arithmantics as well, since you'll have to pass your STEP papers for sure," Weasley suggested.

"I would have taken it anyway," Lucky shrugged.

"And work on that Transfiguration! That will be your hardest letter to make!" Weasley warned.

"Tell me somethin' I don't already know," Lucky snorted and stepped out of the room, the door closing behind her on its own.

"What are we going to do?" Jennifer said the moment the door is closed. "Severus and I have no public record outside of our world, and we certainly don't have any title or station. Not to mention her marks will need transferred to something they'll understand..."

"Jennifer!" Hermione laughed. "You act like Lucky is the first student who's ever wanted to go to college after school! We have some every year, including some Ravenclaws as you very well know."

"Including Dale, come to think of it... perhaps that's why she wants to go?" Jennifer said.

"I'm quite sure it's more than that, Jennifer," Sally put in.

"Yes, so am I, and I think it's nothing short of admirable that she wants to go. It'll be all right, Jennifer, everything will sort itself out," Hermione said.

"Lovely," Jennifer said without enthusiasm. "With the way things are going lately, for some reason I don't feel too inclined to leave things like this to chance."

"No, I wouldn't think so. The Chances have enough to enough to do getting Dale to college," Hermione said. Jennifer gave her a dirty look as she got her lists together and walked out, while behind her Hermione and Sally shared an amused smile.

Jennifer walked out still trying to fathom how they were going to possibly manage it and distractedly tried to go up the main stairs. Fortunately, after the third time trying to go up the same flight only to find herself at the bottom of the stairs again, she noticed what was going on and went to the Door Lift instead. But Severus wasn't in his study as he normally was just before dinner. Instead there was only Rasputin sleeping under the desk and Descartes on his perch, cawing out an alarm as she stepped into the room.

"Oh, Descartes, really!" Jennifer said with exasperation.

"Quiet down, Descartes," Severus said, stepping out from behind the curtain to the sitting room. The Stymphalian meekly put down his head and Severus cautiously but firmly tapped his bronze beak, then heard a hissing from underneath the desk. "Now, don't you start, Rasputin. Keep him in line, will you? Without petrifying him this time," he added for good measure.

"Never mind, Severus, it's not important. Severus, what are we going to do? We don't really even exist, you know," Jennifer said. Severus blinked.

"We don't?" Severus said, baffled.

"Not to them, no, but I suppose we will have to now, won't we? I imagine we'll have to go to the Ministry with it..."

"Jennifer, I don't suppose whatever you're going on about can wait for an evening?" Severus asked.

"No, not really," Jennifer said, and began to wander towards the sitting room, but Severus firmly shut the door.

"In here, if you don't mind," Severus said. "And can you start from the beginning of the conversation this time?"

"Oh, sorry... Lucky wants to go to college, Severus. That's what she said in her interview, at any rate, and she seemed quite set on it. What are we going to do?" Jennifer asked.

"Send her to college, I suppose," Severus said calmly.

"But they might want to interview her and ask all sorts of questions she can't answer, and how are we going to possibly get through all those forms without running into dozens of snags, Severus?" Jennifer asked.

"Interview or no interview, snags or no snags, if Lucky wants to continue her education after she gets out of Hogwarts, I believe we should support her," Severus said.

"So do I, Severus. But that doesn't mean it's going to be easy..."

"Nothing worthwhile ever is," Severus said in a low voice. "Really, you of all people should know that by now." Jennifer slowly exhaled, despite the dubious gaze on her face. "And it isn't as if she'll be appearing out of nowhere completely anonymous, is it? In fact, considering what we've been through with the media over the last month and a half, I should think it's a good possibility that anyone conducting an interview with her will know exactly who she is. If not, they'll know her well enough by the time she leaves that room." Jennifer's lip twitched at that.

"I suppose," Jennifer said, shaking her head.

"Not to mention the fact that we still have two years grace before we have to cross that bridge, and that leaves us plenty of time to prepare for it. Besides, what would be the fun in raising children this late in the game if it wasn't different every time?" Severus murmured.

"Yes, such fun to think you have parenting completely figured out only to be shown you're wrong every time they throw in a stray Bludger," Jennifer said dryly.

"I suppose it's simply proof that we still have a lot to learn," Severus said.

"If we haven't learned it now, we certainly won't in two years," Jennifer sighed. "I think I'm quite done up for one day, so I think I'll just take a shower and turn in," Jennifer decided.

"No dinner?" Severus asked with a frown.

"I really don't feel like eating, Severus, or much like anything else at the moment. Maybe tomorrow will be better," Jennifer decided, and Severus reluctantly opened the door for her to step into his sitting room.

But Jennifer only took a handful of steps in before she stopped dead in her tracks at seeing a rather elaborate dinner laid out on the coffee table in the back. None of the candelabras were lit in the room; instead single candles were scattered about along the ledges and shelves and on the table itself. Jennifer knew from the aroma what to expect when she walked over to find roasted lamb, stuffed grape leaves, a salad dotted heavily with olives and cheese, and a plate of winter carrots and squash in olive oil.

"You talked Sagittari into cooking," Jennifer said, taking a breath.

"It isn't as if it's ever very hard. All I have to do is mention you're not eating well," Severus said. "So don't worry about dinner, Jennifer. Go along in if you like."

"It's an apology, Severus," Jennifer said, pulling off her spectacles and setting them aside. "No matter what was going on with breakfast the other day, this here is nothing short of an apology and I demand to know what you're up to."

"You couldn't possibly believe I set this up because I'm simply glad to have you back up here after all this time?" Severus ventured.

"No, not really, this is going too far even for that. That simply involves you trying to butter me up by pulling out my crystal lotion set and lacing the tea..." Jennifer paused when she spied the crystal set out on the side table beside the couch and went straight over to the teapot, taking an experimental whiff. Jennifer squinted at him warily.

"Um... yes, that as well," Severus agreed. "And I'll have you know it's a bit more complicated than an apology, it's only partially an apology. The rest involves not having you around, as I said before, and perhaps a small flag of surrender thrown in for good measure. This is just my way of eating my hat, so to speak."

"You don't own any hats, Severus."

"Which is precisely why I decided to go this route instead," Severus concluded. "Jennifer, the 'curse' and 'bad luck' that has being hanging over you and this school over the past few months is a mixture of several different factors coming from several different sources, and I've come to the conclusion that one of the major factors to your 'curse' has been my doing. I am hoping that by correcting that, I can help you turn your luck around."

"I don't see how my bad luck has anything at all to do with you, Severus," Jennifer said gently.  
"I believe you've been calling it, 'a cease fire,'" Severus said. Jennifer's eyes blinked and then began boring into him, searching his expression intently. "I would rather call it off, if it's all the same to you, and enter into a renegotiation in lieu of certain mitigating factors."

"Mitigating factors?" Jennifer said, her eyes still fixed intently on him. Severus stepped over to his potion shelf and pulled out a small potion bottle.

"I've actually had this bottle for years now, although for much of the time I kept it at home. I knew you'd never discover it if I put it where it properly belonged," Severus said, and got rewarded with a dirty look. "Go ahead and read the label out loud, Jennifer." Jennifer let out a short sigh of exasperation and took the bottle.

"'Distilled demon blood. Drastically increases the chances of...'" Jennifer blinked, scanning the label.

"Go on," Severus coaxed.

"'Drastically increases the chances of conceiving, even in cases where someone foolishly takes measures to stop such conceptions before they really should have.' Oh Severus! You mean we wouldn't have to resort to Muggle methods after all? Wait a minute! You've had this for years?" Jennifer said, then scowled and hit him with the back of her hand.

"I found it in Toby's shop not long after you first mentioned interest in having another child, believe it or not, and I think you'll agree with me now that with all the healing you and I had to do at that point, it would have been quite unwise to have jumped into that just then," Severus said, and Jennifer grew quiet, nodding sullenly at that. "And before you get too excited about its presence here, I must caution you to read the back of it as well, Jennifer."

"'Disclaimer; although this potion has proven effective in many cases, it will not work in every case. It increases the chance of conceiving, but it does not guarantee it. If it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be. Use as a last resort, but learn when to let it go.' That's rather ominous, isn't it?"

"Yes, that's one of the reasons I never mentioned it before. In fact, I was originally planning not to tell you about it at all, so you wouldn't be disappointed if it didn't work," Severus admitted quietly. "So the question is; are you willing to take the chance in the hopes that it will work?"

"Not unless you are willing to, Severus," Jennifer said quietly. "Are you?"

"You hold the answer to that in your hand, Jennifer," Severus murmured back. "For if you take a closer look at that bottle, you might notice that it's empty."

"What?" Jennifer said, pulling the stopper off in surprise.

"I took it the night that Alex, Andrew and Alicia voiced their 'opinions' about us having another child, believe it or not," Severus admitted. "I realized then just how foolish I had been behaving, and our children's spoiled and bitter behavior made me realize you had some very valid points for wanting to overcome all those mistakes we made the first time around. I doubt we will ever be perfect parents, but then, who is? All of our children, including Corey and Fortuna, grew up in a shroud of fear. Perhaps there still is a chance for us to raise one from the ground up in a safe home filled with people who care about them without that shroud."

"Oh, Severus!" Jennifer laughed in disbelief and began planting kisses on his chin until he kissed her, returning it passionately.

"So now that I've had my little confession, do you feel lucky enough to take the chance to try?" Severus murmured to her.

"Very lucky," Jennifer agreed, snuggling into him. "And if doesn't work, it wasn't meant to, but I really do want to try, Severus. And if nothing else, perhaps we really ought to consider adopting Leu, Severus. Honestly, we really could give him a good home."

"Perhaps we could discuss it," Severus said noncommittally, but Jennifer beamed at him and kissed him again.

"So you're hungry enough to stay for dinner after all?" Severus asked in an innocent tone.

"Ravenous," Jennifer growled playfully. "But I get to pick desert."

"Very well, as long as I get to choose when it's served," Severus said with a wicked smile.

"Well, we'll see about that," Jennifer said mischievously, then quickly slipped away from him. "I'm going to go get washed up for dinner," she decided, pausing at the bedroom doorway. "Aren't you?"

"Really, Jennifer, you don't fight fair," Severus protested, quickly covering up the plates.

"I'm not fighting. I'm renegotiating a peace treaty," Jennifer said flirtatiously before ducking into the bathroom.

"Oh really? Well, we'll see if you get any peace tonight," Severus said dangerously, following her in.

* * *

Jennifer beamed as bright as the sun as she went out to meet Aurelius at the gate. A light snow had fallen over night, but it was quickly melting to reveal the new spring grass below it.

"Good morning, Aurelius!" Jennifer said in an almost melodic tone as she joined him. "Isn't it gorgeous out?"

"Definitely not normal weather for this time of year," Aurelius said with a thin smile. "I see you're feeling better. Back to work, are you?"

"Not entirely, but I'm getting back into the swing of things. Corey's still here for another couple of days, but I imagine he'll be just as glad to get back as I am to get back into the classroom. Still, he's actually done a fabulous job filling in, Aurelius, amazingly so and the students have all taken to him. Do you suppose I can talk him into being on our regular substitute list?" Jennifer asked wickedly.

"Better him than me," Aurelius said.

"Good, then you can help me talk him into it. One never can tell when we might need another substitute around here," Jennifer said happily.

"Oh, is that what's going on, is it?" Aurelius said, nodding to himself when a glance in her direction confirmed it. "You're not going to tell the others, are you?"

"No, I don't think so, Aurelius, not unless it works and we have a reason to tell them, otherwise I don't think it's anyone's business but ours," Jennifer said.

"Maybe if you decided that a month and a half ago, you could have saved yourself a lot of grief," Aurelius said.

"Thank you for the hindsight opinion, son, although I do think I figured that out on my own," Jennifer chided him gently. "I just thought at the time that the rest of the family would support me, is all... come to think of it, it wasn't really fair of me to ask any of you to take sides between myself and your father in the first place."

"Maybe not, but you still should have gotten more support than you got," Aurelius admitted. "I think the problem is that those three are so caught up with you two being their parents that they haven't quite figured out that you're also human beings."

"I don't remember you ever figuring that out," Jennifer teased.

"I didn't until recently," Aurelius admitted. Jennifer smiled at Aurelius proudly, putting her arm through his as they walked up the steps and over to the Door Lift. "And just how long are you going to be condemned to using this thing?"

"I have no idea," Jennifer admitted, pressing the button so that the door opened to show the top of the spiral staircase. "Have a good chat, Aurelius! I need to get to Hermione's office. We're doing more pre-OWL interviews today."

"Boy, does that bring back memories," Aurelius murmured.

"Wait until you hear what your sister said," Jennifer said, rolling her eyes with exasperation before closing the door behind him.

Aurelius chuckled softly at the last thought he had seen in her expression, shaking his head and wondering just how much of a bombshell it must have been to them to find out Lucky's aspirations to go to college.

Little did he realize that his entrance into the study was going to cause an impact all its own. For Severus was having a very relaxed morning, feeling quite comfortable despite the enormous workload in front of him and the plans he was still hatching. It was almost as if all the stress surrounding his work simply slid off completely, leaving him nothing but clear headed and unperturbed by any of it. What Aurelius hadn't counted on the was the fact that because of Severus' heightened state and the reasons behind it that Severus happened to notice that his stiff, irritable, justice-obsessed son seemed to be just as relaxed as he was. In fact, Severus was so surprised that he nearly fell out of his chair.

"Hello, Father. I brought those files you wanted, and I think you'll find one of them to be particularly interesting," Aurelius said, doing his best to ignore his father's reaction to his appearance and the suspicions floating around behind his squinting suspicious gaze. "You also might find it interesting that Abraxus Coventry seems to have taken ill. At least, all of the sudden he's cancelled all of his appointments and interview this week and decided to hire some personal bodyguards. No word from Nelson yet, but I have a feeling that's going to change when he makes it to his office this morning."

"Yes, I should think so. How was your weekend?" Severus asked fixedly.

"Fine, I had the weekend off, mostly, although I did manage to sneak in and try to find more information on Perrell and Stonewall...I've actually been pulling out lists of other things they've acquired just in case this has something to do with an item they previously acquired. Alex is still researching Perrell's wife's disappearance. She's convinced that it has something to do with all of this... I don't know, Father, there's no evidence what happened to her and yet there's something about a man going on with his daily work after his wife disappeared like that... maybe she has a point."

"I agree, I don't think her disappearance is a complete coincidence either. Did you have any trouble on Friday night?" Severus asked. Aurelius froze like a startled deer.

"What?" Aurelius asked.

"Imbolc," Severus said quietly, and Aurelius blinked. "It normally affects you, does it not?"

"That was Friday night?" Aurelius said, looking quite stunned. "Wow, I hadn't even realized it... it's almost ironic, isn't it?"

"In what way?" Severus asked, studying him carefully.

"You know, Father, I think the forest has finally let go of me," Aurelius said, looking slightly dazed. "And yet..."

"Yes?" Severus prompted impatiently. But Aurelius finally caught himself and smiled sheepishly.

"Nothing," Aurelius said, and then stared at the folder. "I'm sorry, where was I?"

"You were attempting to find an effective dodge to my asking you about your weekend," Severus said evenly.

"There's a new article about Lucky in the American papers today," Aurelius said, and Severus drummed his fingers. "Mostly about how she owns some private stock in Kingler's and Company, and it interviews Sally and Tony about her, although I don't know how they found out about that."

"I have no idea," Severus said, taking the paper from him. "I wonder why the one on how they met hasn't gone through yet? Oh, I suppose it has to do with the America's aversion to football."

"Well, from now on could you please warn me when you're going to mention Kingler's in anything? I'd rather not too much attention be drawn to that place," Aurelius said.

"The free advertisement will help Sally after the restructuring, Aurelius. Jennifer told me that it has been dead in there lately, and I don't see why it would matter," Severus said. Aurelius sighed softly. "Aren't you going to sit down? Perhaps stay for breakfast."

"I have a lot of work to do today, Father, this file was just at the top of my list. And I don't know about you, but I'm really interested in finding out what happens when Nelson finds out what you did on Friday..."

"Fine, how about dinner? Perhaps at the Broomsticks or something..."

"I really can't. Seriously, I'm quite busy..."

"Too busy for your Father, is that it?"

"I'm here now, aren't I?"

"To give me an update, yes."

"Normally that's all you ask for."

"It simply occurred to me that lately you've been cutting yourself off, Aurelius."

"I've always been cut off," Aurelius said expressionlessly. "I've never felt like anyone in this family understood me or took much effort to understand me, and if you've been paying attention to me at all, you'd know that I've been trying to understand all of you lately, hoping that maybe it'll help that. But it's not going to help if you start acting like Mum." Severus grimaced. "And if you care at all about me being cut off, you might try respecting my privacy and trusting me to know what I'm doing. I'm not a child anymore, despite my appearance, and you really ought to be concentrating on Lucky and Leu and the future unless I ask for advice or help... which, in all honesty, I probably will be asking for advice, but not right now," he said firmly. "Besides, you have enough to worry about right now without worrying about my personal life."

"True enough," Severus said, pretending to lose interest in the subject. "I suppose this means you're doing with the 'listening' stage then?"

"Not entirely," Aurelius decided. "So, is there anything else I should be doing while you're going through those files?"

"I would say it's time to keep an eye on Nelson," Severus said. "For I do not think he is going to have as pleasant a morning as we are."


	38. Cheap Tricks and Politics

Thirty-Eight

Cheap Tricks and Politics

**Hogsmeade Village Founds a New Insurance Cooperative!**

** Hogsmeade Bank has announced publicly today that the town council approved the creation of a self-run insurance cooperative to serve businesses and residents in Hogsmeade and the surrounding area.**

** "It's a way to further help our shop owners and neighbors in times of crisis," Taylor Brittle, co-founder of the Hogsmeade Bank explained. "When one of us gets hit with higher insurance rates, the entire community suffers. With a cooperative, it will help control costs for everyone, and it'll also encourage safe practices since everyone in the region who buys our insurance will also be investors and will have the benefit of profit sharing."**

** Early estimates predict this will be a successful venture, considering that seventy percent of Hogsmeade residents and a hundred percent of shops have already switched to the new service, including Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which has long been one of the largest insurance accounts not handled by Gringott's Financial Crisis department.**

Byron Nelson spent his entire morning in a special room in the bowels of Gringott's bank, watching a huge stock board fifty times the size of the one in his office. His anger, although present, was tempered by the ferocity of the exchange, desperate in selling off his shares and more before the rest of company's investors got to the financial section of the paper. Finally it began to plummet further and he watched the totals carefully until he at last grabbed a large bag in front of him, well aware that right beside him an ancient-looking goblin was doing his own calculating, waiting until the number bottomed out before buying up a large stack of stock certificates.

"Well, it's been a very profitable morning, I think, for both of us," the ancient goblin ventured.

"I had not intended to liquidate this business, Safecatcher, I do it only as a last resort," Byron said crisply. "I may have made money on what I paid for it, but it's pittance compared to what it could have been had Snape not decided to put his stick in the cauldron."

"Hard to fight a financial war with a wizard who does not care about gold," Safecatcher mused. "I'm surprised he changed insurances at all, no matter how high your former company might have raised it. The board's decision I can understand, for no matter what sort of penalty you might have put on that policy for closing out early, I imagine this new town insurance of theirs is cheaper. It does seem like they went to a lot of trouble just to avoid you."

"Never mind, it isn't as if they went to your insurance company either," Nelson snapped.

"No, we would have gouged the school for more money than you did," Safecatcher said calmly. "But since you're an old acquaintance of mine, I'll give you some advice. If you want to get money out of a man who doesn't value money, you have to find out what it is they value more."

"That sounded almost as if you had something in mind," Byron said suspiciously.

"Yes, I have, but that piece of information, Mr. Nelson, has a price," Safecatcher admitted with a sneer that revealed a set of gold-capped teeth.

"Fine, but it had better be useful," Nelson said.

* * *

Abraxus Coventry stared at the financial column of the_ Wizard Weekly_, growing paler every time he reread the article.

"Perhaps this is it! It's Nelson! He'll be the death of me! He'll blame this on me, somehow!" Abraxus said to himself... or it may as well have been to himself, for Regina was not paying attention.

"Really, Abraxus, must you read at the table? You never listen to me when you do that, and you won't know my schedule today if you don't. My father is going to bring a coach around for the luncheon at the Glastonbury Witches Society... how I hate their boring dribble, but they do seem interested in voting for you... and then I'm off to a charity dinner on your behalf supporting some silly endangered creature or some type or another. It doesn't matter, really, as long as I'm not dressed in fur or dragon hides or anything... and just when do you plan on doing your own campaigning? It isn't fair of me to call in all of Daddy's friends when you keep telling everyone you are ill," Regina said.

"Something terrible's going to happen, Regina. I'm safer at home," Abraxus said.

"Nonsense, Abraxus! You're doing quite well at the polls, thanks to my efforts," Regina said unconcernedly.

"I wasn't talking about the campaign, necessarily, I was talking about life in general. Aren't you even remotely worried that I might be cursed?" Abraxus said nervously.

"The doctor said you were perfectly fine, now stop this nonsense and behave like a Coventry. Honestly, I never would have let my father talk me into marrying you if I knew you were going to turn out to be so paranoid later in life!" Regina said with exasperation, getting up. "There's the coach now, do try to get something productive done today!"

"Wait! How long are you going to be gone again?" Abraxus said, but she was already wandering out of the room.

"Oh yes! I believe Abraxus was expecting you," he heard her call from outside the room. "Abraxus, Mr. Nelson is here!" Abraxus groaned softly, reluctantly getting up from his chair and walking over to greet him.

"Expecting me, were you?" Byron asked suspiciously as he stepped around the corner.

"From the moment I saw the financial column," Abraxus admitted somberly.

"Never mind about that, despite the fact that none of that may have come about had you stayed on the school board..."

"I couldn't stomach what that board let Snape get away with any longer, thank you," Abraxus snapped.

"Nor do I blame you for that," Byron said, waving it off. "Coventry, how would you like to hear a way that insures you the election and puts the thumbscrews on Snape at the same time?"

"I wouldn't ever do anything illegal, Nelson," Abraxus said carefully.

"Of course not, nor would I! Who do you take me for, anyhow?" Nelson snapped.

"I beg your pardon, Nelson, no offense intended. I just would rather err on the side of caution," Abraxus said. "I can't afford to take any chances right now."

"Don't worry, this one is a sure thing," Nelson assured him. "We can discuss it on the way to the bank."

"You mean I have to leave?" Abraxus asked nervously, but reluctantly followed with one of his bodyguards joining them on the way out.

* * *

_The problem with the version of Murphy's Law that you know of as, 'If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong,' is the fact that it can be contradictory to its own meaning. Since 'anything' could easily include the law itself: if Murphy's law can go wrong, it will go wrong. A more logical statement would be, 'if anything can happen, it will happen.'_

_ And yes, there may still be times when it seems like everything that possibly can go wrong will go wrong, and people may take advantage of the fact. But in most cases, these times are not caused by one single nemesis or supernatural force or curse placed upon you. It is simply a part of life and the changes we must adapt to, whether they are changes within ourselves, or changes to those we care about, or changes to the world around us._

_ But life goes on even through these changes, and where there is life, there is always hope. We learn to adapt and overcome, and the more willing we are to take control over the adversity in our lives, the faster such periods in our life melt away and we can go on enjoying the other possibilities that life has to offer us. And although I know that some of this may be over your head right now, rest assured that you are not a victim of bad luck, merely of circumstance. You are luckier than you think, and you only have to acknowledge that fact to start regaining control over your life. It is not folly to hope things will get better, Llewellyn. Right now, it is your strength. Know who you are and know what you want out of life, and you'll soon find yourself in a much better position than you are now._

_ In the meantime, I will do what I can to help you, as you helped me that Assessment Day by reminding me that self-pity wasn't going to get me anywhere. My family and I are learning to adapt and take control of our lives again, thanks to that reminder, and I hope I can soon return the favor. Until then, take to heart what I have said, and remember that luck is nothing more than your ability to take control of your life and your willingness to do so. I firmly believe that as long as you remember that, your luck will turn around. _

_ ~ Professor Severus Snape, (Once Again) Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

Leu heard the morning bell and stuffed the letter back under the pillow before quickly making the bed and pausing momentarily to rub his aching hands. It had been a rough working weekend for certain, despite how profitable it had turned out. It was one of those trips where he had been hoisted down in a large shark cage, and as much as he hated being confined to the thing instead of the open ocean, he hated sharks all the more.

But now it was time to get back to school, so he got dressed and pulled a stack of ledgers off a simple shelf and hurried into the kitchen to find his breakfast waiting for him along with a message to go to the bank after he was done. Partially curious and partially worried that he would be late for school, Leu ate quickly and hurried out the door, growing even more curious when the cart foreman took him all the way up to the Diagon Alley branch instead of taking him to one of the offices below.

As he stepped out of the cart, a rosy-cheeked slightly overweight wizard wearing robes that cost at least a hundred galleons turned from where he was talking to Griphook and Pickskull and smiled brightly at him. Pickskull, on the other hand, looked nowhere near as pleased. In fact, despite his reserved stance, Leu knew from the spark in his beady eyes that his boss seemed quite annoyed indeed. Behind them stood Bill Weasley, whose expression of open worry did nothing to settle Leu's concern.

"Ah! This must be the lad now!" Abraxus said cheerfully. "Look at that hair! I've never seen such hair on a boy that age! And you're so thin...but that will be easy to fix."

"Llewellyn, this is Mr. Abraxus Coventry, a wizard of some means and holdings in the bank," Griphook explained.

"I know you. You're the one running for Minister of Magic," Leu said.

"Ah, very good, so you know something about politics, do you?" Abraxus said, pleased.

"We're encouraged to read the _Oracle_ in school to keep up on current affairs in case it's something that'll affect the markets," Leu explained.

"Yes, he's a very smart boy, for a human," Pickskull admitted reluctantly.

"I could see that straight away. I'm sure we'll get along famously together, won't we?" Abraxus said, but Leu's reserved expression didn't reveal any enthusiasm.

"I don't think he realizes yet what you have in mind, Mr. Coventry," Griphook ventured. "Mr. Murphy, Mr. Coventry has paid your debts and all penalties and severance pay of your employees and has filed paperwork to become your temporary guardian."

"My guardian?" Leu repeated, more than a little baffled.

"Yes, my boy, you are officially debt free now!" Abraxus said cheerfully. "What do you think of that?"

"What do I have to do to get this?" Leu asked carefully.

"Nothing at all, dear boy, nothing at all. I've taken care of everything already! Your caretakers are packing your things even as we speak, and you're going to come live with me and my wife Regina and Nana Lynn, who will help take care of you. What do you think of that?" Abraxus asked.

"Can I still go to school?" Leu asked.

"Of course you can! You can do anything you like!" Abraxus said. Leu nodded thoughtfully and then turned around. "Wait, where are you going?"

"I was going to go to school," Leu said.

"Goodness me, no, not _that_ school!" Abraxus chuckled at him.

"Mr. Coventry, I really think this is too much for him all at once..." Bill warned.

"Nonsense, he'll be fine once I get him home and he gets to see just how wonderful it's going to be back with his own kind. Come along, Leu! Let's go do some shopping to get you some new things for your new home! Definitely some clothes and a haircut...would you like a different color perhaps? You might want to look good for the cameras, you know, because there's bound to be some fuss over you," Abraxus warned, putting an arm around the boy and walking him outside.

Immediately there was a flash from a pair of cameras.

"Here he is! Here is the boy that the current Minister of Magic so wrongfully allowed to stay in the hands of the goblins, but is now safe and sound with me!" Abraxus declared to the two reporters standing there, beaming at a small group of his supporters standing nearby and clapping appreciatively. "I paid off his debts with my own money and have rescued him from his captivity! And I guarantee you that under my administration, such horrific acts will never happen again. May we all work together to create a world free of such acts of slave labor and exploitation and make a better world for Llewellyn and all other children everywhere!" he said flamboyantly, getting an even bigger applause from the crowd. "Leu, why don't you give the cameras a smile?" he suggested, putting his arm around the boy again.

Leu forced something that was almost but not completely a smile on his face, very much doubting that this new situation he was in was any better than his last one.

* * *

Jennifer hummed cheerfully as she stepped out of the Door Lift and walked into the Headmaster's Study.

"Interviews are done, and I had time to prepare all my classes for tomorrow. And am I going to be unpopular when I start them off with a formulas test," Jennifer said mischievously, but then noticed just how furiously that Severus was pacing the room. "What's wrong now?"

"Abraxus Coventry went to the bank and paid off Llewellyn's loan, after the Ministry agreed to allow him a court guardian license," Severus said.

"What?" Jennifer said, instantly horrified.

"He has turned the entire matter into a political platform, speaking out against the Ministry's unwillingness to do anything about him before now," Severus said.

"Well, in that he has a point," Jennifer said.

"So he does, and it's not the political stand on this issue that I mind. It is the fact that he has dragged Leu into the middle of the fight and in front of the media to make him a poster child for the Ministry's 'uncaring' nature. William says that Abraxus took him straight out of the bank and into the crowd before they even had the boy's personal effects packed."

"Oh that poor boy!" Jennifer said. "Surely the Ministry will protest the way Abraxus handled that!"

"If not, I will. I don't know what exactly Abraxus is trying to do, but the last thing that Llewellyn needs is to be in the middle of another political battle! I hope he has sense enough to let the boy get used to his new home and stop parading him about so that he can recover from all of this!" Severus said, pacing again.

"You don't think he truly means to keep Llewellyn?" Jennifer said with a frown.

"What else?" Severus said.

"But that's not right, that's not right at all! Leu is supposed to be with us!" Jennifer said. Severus stopped in his tracks and stared at her.

"Just how do you mean that, exactly?" Severus asked. Jennifer sighed.

"Well if you must know, he was in one of the visions that Viviane sent me last year. Granted, it was one of those that wasn't quite real... but he seemed real enough, only much older, twenties perhaps, but with silvery hair," Jennifer admitted.

"That's why you believed me from the start when I told you about him," Severus murmured. "Why you never seemed surprised..."

"Not that I would have doubted you, Severus," Jennifer protested. Severus was lost in thought a moment before shaking his head.

"You say yourself the vision in he was in wasn't quite real, Jennifer."

"Yes and I admit it readily, but I still think there was something there. It was fate that brought him up to the surface that day to meet you, Severus. And it is fate asking you to step in now. Or do you truly believe that you had not searched for the boy and gotten to know him through the last few months that you would still be quite as enraged about what's happening right now? Yes, you would have commented on it, and probably made some ready marks of disgust to Abraxus' actions, but I don't think you would have realized exactly how badly Llewellyn needs you," Jennifer said.

"And you as well, apparently, considering it was your vision that saw him," Severus protested softly.

"Well... I think that will come later. But right now, you've got to do what you can to get Leu into a safe home, and regardless of what I think about the Coventry's parenting skills one way or another, I don't think the Coventry residence is a healthy place for him," Jennifer said.

"No, it isn't," Severus said at last, going over to his desk. "Armando, ask Andrew, Corey, and Anna up here the moment they are free, and send a painting over to Pyther studio and see if Alicia's up to a bit of reconnaissance."

"What are you going to do, Severus?" Jennifer asked.

"I'm calling a family safety net around Leu, what else?" Severus said, digging in his desk drawer for a seashell. Jennifer smiled warmly at him. "Then after everyone is in place, I'm going to go down there...Alex? I need to see you the moment you're free...no, it's not about that, it's about Leu Murphy. Yes the goblin boy - must you call him that? Anyway, come see me when you're free," Severus said, then grabbed the contact mirror, opening it, drumming his fingers while he waited for an image to appear.

"Aurelius? Where are you?" Severus asked then immediately winced. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry... oh, you're at work." Jennifer blinked at that. "Have you been watching Nelson?" he asked, and Jennifer took a seat right by the desk watching Severus face intently. Severus squinted. "Oh he did, did he? Did he go straight over to Coventry's from the bank? Fine. I want you to switch targets and keep an eye on Coventry and the boy then, and fair warning; you have family incoming to help you. Yes, you're welcome," Severus said in the same sarcastic tone he had just received from Aurelius, snapping the mirror shut. "There, everything will soon be in motion. It's time I spread the family luck out a bit, don't you think?"

"Yes, definitely. But why did you wince like that after you asked Aurelius where he was?" Jennifer asked.

"Um..." Severus began, but he immediately realized that Jennifer was looking at him dead on. Her eyes suddenly widened.

"Aurelius has a girlfriend? My goodness! Aurelius has a girlfriend!" Jennifer said excitedly. "Who is it, Severus? I want to meet her!"

"Now, calm down, Jennifer! I don't know who it is. I was asked to butt out, and I'm quite sure whoever it is, he has it Pacted. You know how much Aurelius likes his privacy!" Severus protested. "He'll tell us when he's ready, I'm sure, but right now he needs his space."

"Yes but... I still can't believe it! My baby actually has a real girlfriend!" Jennifer said giddily. Severus rolled his eyes. "Oh, all right, Severus! I get the hint, mum's the word... I'm just so happy, is all!" There was a knock on the door.

"Jennifer, please? Calm yourself? He doesn't want anyone knowing about this," Severus said firmly.

"Just as long as I know, who cares?" Jennifer said, still beaming so brightly that Severus was reluctant to wave open the doors. Corey stepped inside, smiling curiously at the beaming smile on his mother's face.

"You needed to see me, Dad? Good news, I take it?"

"Not exactly, no. I need to inform you about some family business... Jennifer, why don't you go turn in your class itinerary to Hermione?" Severus suggested.

"Very well, Severus!" Jennifer said cheerfully, kissing him on the cheek before walking towards the door.

"Sure it's not good news?" Corey said, gazing at Jennifer questioningly. "You look like you're on top of the world, Mom."

"I own the world!" Jennifer declared, walking out the door and through the Door Lift. Corey chuckled at her.

"Is she...uh?"

"No, she isn't," Severus said quickly.

"Oh. Then I think you went overboard on the good luck thing, Dad," Corey said, chuckling again.

"I'm not done yet," Severus said, and then gestured to a chair. "Have a seat, and I'll tell you about my next project."

* * *

Leu sat in the middle of a large 'spare' bedroom on an ornate Indian rug, for it seemed like the only safe place to sit. On one end of the room was the largest bed he had ever seen, plush and plumped with so many comforters and pillows that he was quite sure he would sink two feet if he tried to lay in it. On the other end, near a desk where a stack of new schoolbooks sat, was an entire wall of shelves filled with an enormous amount of toys and sports equipment that made him feel as if he had just walked into the toyshop in Myrkinbrek. And past a looming set of mirrored doors was a full set of Kensington primary uniforms and tons and tons of dress clothes, casual clothes, and a rack of shoes; the estimate value of its contents was enough to make Leu cringe at the thought of wearing any of it. The only bits of the room that Leu actually liked was the large window that looked out into a garden, and a beautiful painting of a marina, the row of lanterns along the docks making for a very picturesque nighttime view of the sea. The sound of the waves made him so homesick that he felt a pang in his chest, and he couldn't help but wonder how hard it would be to get to the ocean from where he was... wherever he was.

Perhaps they would take him if he asked, he mused. Nanna Lynn especially seemed quite eager to accommodate him, and Mr. Coventry, although a bit loud, seemed mutually enthusiastic. Only Mrs. Coventry didn't seem so happy to see him. She had piercing eyes that went right through Leu, and it was obvious from the tone of conversation when she pulled her husband away that she was more than a little angry about not being consulted over what she saw as an unwanted houseguest. One thing was certain; Leu was going to have to work extra hard to win her over if he was going to stay there... despite the fact he really didn't want to stay there at all.

He was still thinking of his strange predicament and how exactly to get out of there when he noticed someone moving along the dock of the marina that he had never seen before. Moreover, she appeared to be looking straight at him. She waddled onto the beach and over to the edge of the picture and smiled at him.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

"What?" Leu said in surprise.

"The painting, I mean. It's one of my husband's," the woman said wistfully.

"Oh! It's very nice!" Leu said, thinking that her presence made a lot more sense, considering painters probably put their wives in paintings a lot.

"Is there anyone else around besides you? I mean in the house," Alicia asked.

"Nanna Lynn, but she asked me to play in here for a couple of hours," Leu explained.

"Perhaps it'll be all right then. How about a hand down?" Alicia asked.

"What?" Leu said, confused.

"I'm not very mobile right now, and I could use all the help I can get," Alicia chuckled. Leu stared as a hand came out of the painting and he reached out and grabbed it, growing wide-eyed when he somehow managed to pull the witch out of the painting. "Thank you."

"Are you going to have a baby?" Leu asked, eyeing her warily.

"Either that or I swallowed a dragon egg and it's deciding to hatch," Alicia joked. "Although there are moments when it feels like that, actually. I'm Alicia Snape, by the way."

"The famous painter?" Leu asked.

"Yes, that's me. Do you mind if I sketch you? I had a devil of a time finding you in this house," Alicia admitted.

"Oh! Alright," Leu said, watching as Alicia glanced around and finally settled for the chair at the desk.

"You have such great coloring, I really should have brought colored pencils," Alicia said, pulling out her sketchbook. "I love your hair."

"Mr. Coventry thinks I ought to dye it. He thinks it makes me look unhealthy," Leu said.

"Nonsense! It helps you stick out in the crowd, and being a painter, I can tell you that's a good thing," Alicia said with a grin.

"So that is why you wanted to sketch me?" Leu asked.

"Actually, it's for safety reasons. My father wants to make sure we can get to you in case you need help," Alicia explained.

"Your father is Professor Snape, isn't he?" Leu said wistfully, Alicia nodding in reply. "You're very lucky."

"I'll be nice and not offer a comment," Alicia chuckled. Leu frowned.

"Don't you like your father?" he asked seriously.

"Yes, I love both my parents, they're just not the easiest people in the world to get along with at times, that's all," Alicia admitted.

"I rather like your father," Leu said. "He doesn't believe I'm a jinx at all."

"Well, neither do I. Don't you ever smile? I feel like I'm sketching a mug shot or a wanted poster," she said, but Leu simple gazed at her evenly. "There, all done! Now, if you're ever in trouble and there's paintings around, we'll have another way of getting you out."

"Do you think something is going to happen to me?" Leu asked.

"No, Father just likes to over plan everything," Alicia said. "He just wants to make sure you're safe." There was a chattering noise coming from the window, and Leu looked over in surprise to see a bushy tailed squirrel sitting on the windowsill.

"Is that your familiar?" Leu said in awe.

"No, that's just my brother," Alicia said, getting up and put her things away. "I have a chameleander... half chameleon, half fire salamander. I can bring him along next time I drop in if you like."

"Yes, please. You're going to visit again?"

"Unless the baby has other ideas, yes," Alicia said. "But don't worry if you don't see me around. If I'm not here, one of my other brothers or sisters are sure to be close by. So if you need someone to talk to, just try a painting... or a tree... or if all else fails, walk to the front gate. There will always be a Snape around if you need one. Oh... uh... it's a good idea if you keep that fact a secret from Mr. Coventry, actually. I'm not sure he'd be very happy to know that we were keeping an eye on you."

"Why not?" Leu asked.

"Let's just say he and my father don't exactly get along, and leave it at that," Alicia said, making a picture in the air with her wand. Leu watched in amazement as he saw what looked to be an outline of a house made out of light, but when Alicia stepped through it, they both disappeared.

The squirrel, on the other hand, looked in no hurry to go anywhere. Instead he seemed to be inspecting the room itself, showing much more interested in the full shelves than Leu was. Leu watched with fascination as the squirrel poked about, resisting the urge to try and pet it when he remembered that Alicia mentioned something about the squirrel being her brother. But when the squirrel decided to jump down and inspect the bed, Leu couldn't help but grin when the squirrel sank down in the center of the bed to the point where Leu only saw the covers around it.

"Master Llewellyn?"

Leu gasped and spun around just in time to see Nanna Lynn entering the room, her warm smile turning odd when she saw his expression and the fact that the shelves hadn't been touched. "Didn't feel like playing? Oh, I see, you took a nap. Well, I've drawn your water so you can have a quick bath before you dress for dinner."

"Dress for dinner?" Leu repeated, attempting to stay between the bed and the Nanny as she walked into the room. He winced slightly when she went over and shut the window.

"Dinner is a very formal affair in this house, but I expect the breakfast in bed will more than make up for it," Lynn explained. "After dinner you'll want to settle in straight away so you won't be tired on your first day at Kensington. Mr. Coventry had to pull a great many strings to get you into that school, you nearly ended up in Stoddard, so I expect you'll try your best."

"Yes, Nanna Lynn," Leu said, watching nervously as she stepped closer to the bed.

"Excuse me, Master Llewellyn. I'm going to straighten the bed and turn the covers for you. Do you like to read before bed? I can get a book down for you if you like," Lynn said.

"Yes, all right," Leu said, watching with dread as she straightening the bed, but there was no squirrel to be seen.

"Come along, Master Llewellyn! Your bath is getting cold!" Lynn said, then paused and stared at the open window. "I thought I closed that window," she murmured to herself, getting out her wand and locking it tight before leading him out of the room.

Aurelius didn't even bother to glance around; he simply kept watching the gate.

"Can't you breathe a bit quieter?" Aurelius murmured.

"Sorry, I almost got caught. If Lynn had known there was a squirrel up there she would have nailed me for sure," Andrew murmured. Aurelius stared at him. "Old girlfriend," Andrew admitted reluctantly.

"Who isn't," Aurelius retorted.

"Lovely girl, very talented... too talented for me, really..." Andrew said thoughtfully.

"Too talented? What, you didn't like the competition?" Aurelius challenged him.

"After a couple of glorious nights, she realized I didn't make enough money to suit her," Andrew said with a sigh.

"Really?" Aurelius said thoughtfully. "Interesting that she'd be here then, isn't it? How long has she been Nanny here again?"

"Four of five years, about six months after our short but memorable vacation," Andrew sighed.

"That's very interesting," Aurelius said, peering out of the brush at the house. "How's the room?"

"No listening charms, but the normal security measures you find in a house this size, which is why I didn't want to risk Apparating out of there. Apparently it's not bothered about squirrels though, or paintings for that matter, and neither the door or the windows were locked."

"I suppose as long as they're not worried about him leaving, we shouldn't be," Aurelius mused.

"Where would he go? It isn't as if they have a reason to worry, is it?" Andrew pointed out.

Aurelius looked thoughtful, but then thought he heard the sound of horses and turned his attention to the road leading up to the gate. As they looked around an old-fashioned horse-drawn cab fade into view, the gate quickly opening to let the cab in.

"Looks like Regina's home at any rate... Abraxus might be as well, come to think of it. Lynn asked Leu to dress for dinner," Andrew said.

"You'd better head back to the school and let Father know they're home and we've got things under control here," Aurelius said.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay? I'll be a lot more comfortable in a tree than you would be," Andrew offered.

"Exactly, I'm less likely to fall asleep on watch," Aurelius said evenly. "Besides, you have classes tomorrow."

"And papers to mark," Andrew admitted with a sigh. "I'll see you later, Rel. Don't wait up."

"Yes, that's very funny," Aurelius said sarcastically, turning back around when his brother Disapparated.

A half an hour later, Severus arrived, Apparating in at a polite distance away from the gate and walking up to it. He glanced around subtly, and Aurelius quickly made his way over to his side.

"I want you along to make certain there aren't any hidden intentions here," Severus said quietly.

"Good idea. There are some things I want to scope out as well," Aurelius agreed, Severus nodding quickly to him as they walked up to the gate.

Severus knocked a small brass ring in the center of the gate, waiting as a face appeared in the surface behind it.

"State your names, please," the gate intoned.

"Professor Snape and Auror Snape," Severus said.

"Are you expected?"

"Quite possibly," Severus said, and the knocker's eyes closed. A moment later, the gate swung open. An older wizard butler met them at the door, nodding cordially to them.

"The family is still at dinner. Would you care to join them?" he asked.

"Thank you, no, we don't wish to intrude," Severus said.

"Perhaps some tea in the parlor then," the butler said, showing them in.

"That will be fine," Severus said and the two of them followed him into a large room with lit fireplace and Queen Anne furniture. Severus felt his snoop necklace react and glanced over at Aurelius, who had the same knowing expression on his face. So the two of them silently wandered around and inspected the room without saying anything, pausing only when the butler came in with their tea.

"Here we are! It won't be much longer. I'll be serving desert in here," the butler explained with a smile. Severus simply nodded, testing the tea thoughtfully.

"One of Corey's, I believe. Tastes like the blend he recommends for high stress; I've had it often enough myself," Severus said in a low voice.

"Politics can be stressful, I suppose," Aurelius said, getting a cup for himself.

"Good evening Severus, good evening Aurelius," said Abraxus as he stepped into the room. Beside him, Regina gazed at them skeptically, looking none to pleased to see them. "I hope we haven't been keeping you waiting. We've been having a devil of a time convince Leu to eat anything!" he said with exasperation, looking over at Leu and Nanna Lynn as they walked in behind them.

"Oh? Any luck?" Severus asked expressionlessly, but Leu's eyes stayed fixed on his.

"None whatsoever. He keeps asking how much it is going to cost him and he keeps giving me the oddest sorts of looks when we tell him it's free," Abraxus said.

"Nothing is truly ever free in this world, Abraxus. Leu knows it well," Severus said.

"Maybe for adults, yes, but part of the fun of being a child is not having to worry about those sorts of things. Somehow I'm going to have to convince him," Abraxus said.

"It'll take time and patience," Severus said. "Would you care if I made an attempt at getting him to eat desert?"

"If you think you can, yes, anything. He has to eat something," Abraxus agreed. Severus nodded and pulled a pumpkin ice cream cone out of his cloak and held it out, and Leu immediately took it.

"Thank you," Leu said, and immediately began eating it.

"How in the world did you do that?" Abraxus said in amazement.

"I'm not going to spoil all my secrets in front of the boy," Severus said.

"No, no, not the cloak trick. I meant the fact that he actually accepted it," Abraxus said impatiently.

"It was simply because I was returning a gift he gave to me once," Severus explained. "I wasn't giving him anything more than he would expect."

"Well, we're definitely going to have to work on that! Every child has the right to expect more out of life than what they put into it!" Abraxus declared. Leu squinted at him. So did Severus and Aurelius. "Lynn, why don't you take Leu into the kitchen to finish that and then get him washed up for bed? He has a busy day tomorrow. Say goodnight, Llewellyn."

"Goodnight," Leu said as he got up. "Do you suppose I'm lucky yet?"

"Quite lucky," Abraxus agreed, while Severus shook his head almost imperceptibly.

"You'll know when you are," Severus said. Leu nodded thoughtfully at that, following the Nanny into the other room.

"I think I'm going to retire early as well. I'm not feeling myself," Regina said.

"So sorry, my dear," Abraxus said, the quick reply betraying the relief that she was clearing the room. "So Severus, you haven't told me why you and your son are here yet."

"I thought it was rather obvious. I came to check on Llewellyn and to find out what your plans are for him," Severus said.

"And why is it that you think that is any of your affair at all, Severus?" Abraxus asked bluntly.

"Perhaps because before you barged in and 'rescued' the boy, I had been making inquiries on the boy's behalf for weeks, and had even started a trust fund for Llewellyn to pay of the debt," Severus said.

"Surely you're not angry simply because I rescued him before you did, Severus. That'd be quite petty," Abraxus said. "What matters is the boy is out of goblin hands and back in a safe environment, not who got him out."

"I agree, at least in principle," Severus said evenly. "Although I am concerned that your campaign seems to be quick to capitalize on Llewellyn's hardship."

"I have no more control over what the media says than you do, Severus. Come to think of it, I probably have even less control than you do," Abraxus said briskly. "I simply told them my honest opinion in that I thought the Ministry should have stepped in sooner and should never have let things get this far. I dare you to argue the point."

"No, I agree with that, although the way this is being handled with the public is not making you many friends among the goblins," Severus reminded him.

"Goblins don't vote for Minister of Magic, Severus, wizards do. And if you ask me, it's high time we stopped playing the constant diplomat with all other countries and races and tried to take care of wizard affairs for a change. It's true that the boy's case has caused a stir and it should in my opinion, but the boy's no worse for the wear for it. I assure you, Severus, that no matter what else happens, I will do my best to make certain the boy is cared for as long as he is staying here," Abraxus said.

"You're not going to adopt him?" Severus asked.

"I'm only his temporary guardian until a suitable family can be found," Abraxus said. "Of course, Regina is a bit put out about the whole thing. You know how women can get about having strange children in their home."

"Not even remotely," Severus said briskly.

"Still, she will probably come around, and I'm not leaving that child in the cold in any case. I will adopt him if no one comes forward and is willing to meet certain conditions," Abraxus said.

"Certain conditions?" Severus asked, squinting suspiciously.

"First off, I rather think the boy should stay here for his first few months. It'd be cruel to uproot him again after what he's been through, and he needs to get used to living in the wizard world again in a neutral environment. Not to mention that I'm starting him in school, and it'd mean pulling him from it not long after getting into a routine."

"And which coincidentally will keep him with you until after the election," Severus said. But before Abraxus could protest, Severus seemed to change his mind. "Very well, you have a valid point."

"I'm also hoping that whoever is willing to adopt him is also willing to pay off the loan I had to take out to pay off his loan with the goblins," Abraxus said. Severus blinked.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Well, all the liquid assets I had were already tied up in the election, and I did think the boy's welfare needed an immediate response. So, since obviously I couldn't very well take out a loan with the goblins to pay off a goblin loan, I took out a Muggle bank loan out and then converted it. You can't expect me to keep paying on the thing if someone else plans to adopt him instead, can you?" Abraxus reasoned.

"I should have known this was more than an act of kindness on your part! What you're talking about is asking someone to buy that child!" Severus snapped.

"That's quite hypocritical of you, Severus, after you yourself admitted to building a trust fund for him..."

"By donations from people who did not expect anything back in return for it!" Severus snapped.

"Then simply apply that money directly to the loan, Severus. It'll still be going to what it was meant for," Abraxus said. But when Severus began to mull that point over, Aurelius stepped up to make his presence known.

"No thanks. Father's right, it's about helping Leu, not buying him. I think you're out of luck," Aurelius added. Severus quickly recovered from his surprise, nodding to Abraxus.

"Perhaps we'll discuss it some other time," Severus said.

"He won't be going anywhere else anytime soon," Abraxus said unconcernedly, showing them out.

The two of them walked straight to the gate, but neither seemed in a hurry to Disapperate, walking further up the road.

"Well?" Severus asked.

"Sorry, I thought you ought to know before you got any further that Nelson set up that loan," Aurelius said. Severus stared at him. "In fact, he was the one who told Abraxus about Leu in the first place and suggested he step in. Anyway, I didn't think you'd want to start handing Nelson money without knowing who you're giving it to."

"I also don't want Leu with the Coventrys," Severus snarled.

"Yes, I know, especially since Leu is obviously not responding to them. But to be fair, except for withholding that information and skirting the campaign thing, everything he said was truthful. He does care about what happens to Leu," Aurelius admitted.

"If it was just Abraxus involved, I would be more than willing to come up with some sort of agreement," Severus said. "But I will not line the pockets of a man who rightly belongs in Azkaban!"

"There is another option," Aurelius said. "But it might effect some of your students."

"Go on," Severus said.

"Regina isn't upset with Leu, she simply thinks that rescuing Leu was just her husband's excuse to get their Nanny back into the house. She thinks there might be something on going on between them," Aurelius said.

"Does she have reason to believe this?" Severus asked, and Aurelius nodded somberly. "Then my students are already effected," Severus concluded.

"I'll get right on it," Aurelius said, slipping into the shadows while Severus continued down the road a few more steps until finally Apparating.

* * *

When Severus stalled the post and newspaper delivery and had the three Coventry children brought up to have breakfast with him, he couldn't help but notice that not one of them seemed surprised. He then set up for them to have lunch with Madame Brittle and dinner with Professor Scribe to even out the day and to give them a break from some of the tongue wagging he knew would be going on downstairs when the papers arrived.

"All's fair in love, war, and politics, I suppose," Gary said when he saw the headlines that photos had mysteriously been delivered to both papers proving that Coventry had been having an affair with the nanny. "Whoever did it was a Draco supporter to be sure. Coventry is losing supporters by the minute. There's no way he'll win the election now."

"Honestly, I just hope Beth and Mike are all right. I haven't seen them around all day," Connie said.

"They've been going to class, I've seen them in the halls," Gary said.

"Maybe they're going to be at the field. They both know we're gonna take the pavilion down tonight after dinner," Lucky said.

"I hope so," Connie said. "You know, Mike has come a long way this year. He used to be such an ass, and now I think of him as the unofficial seventeenth owl."

"Only because he keeps showing up every time the order is doin' something out of the back room," Lucky said, shoveling her dinner.

"He's friends with Ambrose, Winnie and Delia. Of course he's going to hang out with us," Connie said. "But it's more than that. Hufflepuff has been good for him."

"Yeah," Lucky admitted, pushing her plate away. "Come on, let's get out there. Look, Ambrose and Natalie are both gone already!"

"We don't have to be the first every time, do we?" Connie said critically as they two of them snuck out of the room.

A handful of other students were standing out on the football pitch, so Connie walked over to them, stopping near where Natalie and Mike were talking.

"I got a letter from mother saying that she's going to be staying at my grandfather's manor for awhile," Mike explained sullenly. "I really don't know what's going to happen next, but it's obviously not going to end well, especially now that their insults at one another has gotten to the media. It's awful, really."

"Michael, would you stop talking about it?" Beth hissed. "It's none of their business what's going on in our family, just tell them to butt out when they ask."

"I was only trying to be nice," Natalie protested.

"Oh, leave us alone!" Beth said, grabbing her brother's arm and pulling him away from the rest of them.

"Elizabeth is definitely taking this hard," Severus murmured softly from where he stood with Jennifer by the pavilion.

"They all are. Don was an absolute terror today in his classes," Jennifer said. "Danyelle's got him polishing all the school brooms and bats tonight, but she said if he doesn't settle down, she's going to find something else for him to do."

"Good, he needs something constructive to do with that built-up anger of his," Severus mused.

"Have you heard anything about Leu?" Jennifer asked.

"Family services stepped in and pulled Coventry's temporary guardianship. I believe he's staying at Percy Weasley's at the moment," Severus said, Jennifer nodding somberly at that. "It would have come out anyway, you know. And considering all the bad feelings that were going on in that house, I probably saved them all a lot of strife."

"You don't have to defend yourself to me, Severus," Jennifer protested softly. "But you're right. If you had been in Toby's shop that Christmas Eve and saw what I had, you wouldn't have thought twice about it."

"Still, I hate stooping to their methods..."

"You didn't wreck their marriage, Severus. Abraxus Coventry did. And furthermore, if he hadn't helped Nelson hatch this plan to use Leu against you, you wouldn't have ever gotten involved in the first place. Abraxus Coventry brought this bad luck down on himself," Jennifer reassured him.

"Perhaps you're right," Severus decided.

"Of course I am," Jennifer agreed, and then walked over to where Sirius and John were standing with their wands out.

The pavilion inflated, but this time the stakes had been intentionally pulled out on one side so it would flip backward, flapping from an unseen wind. Anna and Sally quickly stepped in to help when the pavilion got snagged on the stands, but within a second the stands were revealed, and the entire Order of the Owl broke out in claps and cheers.

"They still needs a couple more coats of waterproofing made up t'be ready for actual use, but they're quite grand, aren't they?" John commented.

"They're absolutely perfect!" Jennifer said enthusiastically.

"They're definitely better than the old ones," Severus agreed.

"Jennifer, why don't you get up there and test them out?" Sirius suggested mischievously. "After all, you broke the first ones."

"Well, I like that," Jennifer said indignantly, but after the students began egging her on as well felt she had no choice but to climb up towards the top and sit down on them, getting another round of applause from the students.

"Satisfactory, Professor Craw?" Severus called up.

"Positively! Well done, everyone!" Jennifer said appreciatively.

"All right, the rest of you get back in the school, it's getting cold out. I imagine there's rain coming," Severus advised.

"Look, it's Hermes!" Helena said as they began to turn around.

"It is Hermes," Connie agreed, waiting for a letter, but their father's owl swooped over them and delivered it to the Headmaster instead, waiting until after his work was done before flying down to visit the girls.

"What is it, Severus?" Jennifer asked, coming down from the stands.

"It's my fault. I should have expected something like this," Severus said, folding up the note. "Apparently Penelope took Leu to walk along the beach at his insistence and he made a run for it...or rather, a dive for it, and now they can't find him. Watch the castle for me, Jennifer. I'm going to take the boat out."

"By yourself? But you can't pilot the thing!"

"The Merrows can, Jennifer, now don't worry. But this is my responsibility and I fully intend to see this through. That's how making your own luck works, you know," Severus said, and Jennifer nodded thoughtfully at that. "I don't think he'll come up on shore, but you might check with Alicia just in case."

"But she's due any day!" Jennifer protested.

"Well, if she goes into labor, then she is excused," Severus said briskly, walking towards the gates.

"Boy, have your attitudes changed on that issue," Jennifer murmured dryly to herself as she watched him walk away. Suddenly feeling a warm rush from that fact, Jennifer began to hum to herself as she walked over to help finish putting the pavilion away.


	39. Choosing the Hard Way

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Choosing the Hard Way

The seas were rough that time of year, and Severus was glad of the Merrow crew's expertise, despite the fact it was more than a little unnerving knowing that the fate of the boat and perhaps his own life rested in their hands. It took a few hours to get the boat around the coast, much longer than he would have liked. When the boat finally slowed to a crawl and bobbed on the water the night was pitch black; the overcast sky did not even give a hint of moonlight, let alone starlight.

"Are you sure we're in the right spot?" Severus asked Capper, sending the other two Merrows to take a look underwater.

"Aye, sir! It was written in the log when we were converting to sail," Capper said. Severus sighed softly and pulled his cloak against the chill air, wondering if he had got it wrong. No, he was positive he hadn't. There was only two places the boy would have gone... there, or the place of the boat accident that killed his parents. But the other would have held no hope or promise... the other wouldn't have been a call for help, but of resignation... no, Severus thought firmly to himself. He was quite certain he had gotten through to the boy on some level.

"We'll stay until he comes. We'll stay as long as it takes," he said. Capper saluted.

"I'll light more lanterns, sir. It's difficult to find a swimmer even in the light of day, but he may see us, sir," Capper said, and Severus nodded. Perhaps he wouldn't be able to get this far, Severus mused. It was pretty far off the coast... Severus attempted to swallow his worry in favor of trusting his instincts and stood along the rail as time crawled by, growing stiff from the conditions of late winter sea to the point where his hands seemed almost a part of the railing itself.

It wasn't until the sky began to lighten that doubt crept in... wondering if he had expected too much... wondering if something might have happened. He wondered if should try contacting Aurelius again, despite the late hour... despite the fact that the entire family was under orders to notify him if there was any change. Perhaps it was simply too far out for him to reach, or for some reason there was something preventing him to get anywhere...

"Capper, plot a backup course to these coordinates, just in case," Severus said, handing him a small piece of paper.

"Giving up soon, sir?" Capper asked.

"No, not yet, but it's the only other place he'd head to," Severus said.

"The waters in that region are well out of the gulf stream, sir. They'd be much colder this time of year," Capper said worriedly.

Severus found himself growing even more concerned then, wondering if Leu would have braved it... wondering if he would have been strong enough to get out if the temperature had started to get to him...

Suddenly there was splash below and Severus peered over the edge.  
"Kelpie? Kipper?" Severus called out, unable to see the surface of the water.

"Mission successful, sir!" Kelpie said.

"We found the boy, sir!" Kipper said.

"No you didn't. I found you," said another voice.

"Never mind the semantics! Help him up," Severus said, and the Merrows escorted the boy over to the ladder and helped the shivering boy as best they could. The moment he was out of the water, Severus drew out his wand and cast a drying spell on the boy, aware of how cold his hands were when he reached over and pulled him up. "Come in and get warm. What were you thinking coming all the way out here? All you had to do was ask for help, you know. I had every single Snape at your disposal and you had to go and take off somewhere not even a painting could find you!"

"I take it everything's all right now, Father?" said a familiar voice. Leu looked around to try and figure out where the voice was coming from, but a blanket was tossed over his head.

"Until she found you just now, that is," Severus said dryly. "Yes, I have him, Alicia, you can call off the army. Really, why is it that everyone insists on running from me when all I'm trying to do is help?"

"I think I'll avoid answering that question by going into labor now," Alicia said, stepping out of the picture.

"Do you suppose she was being serious?" Leu asked.

"I wouldn't put it past her, no. Come over here by the stove, Llewellyn, while I warm up a potion," Severus said. "A bit nippy for you to be out in these waters, don't you think? Sit there."

Severus pulled out an oil burner out from his cloak, and then poured the contents of a phial he got from a row of straps attached to the inside of his cloak into a mug and then put it on the burner.

"Why not use the stove?" Leu asked.

"Because this solution has to be heated at an even temperature," Severus said, "but I'm certainly not here to instruct you in potions."

"Why are you here?"

"Why are you?" Severus retorted.

"I guess I'm here because... well, you told me luck depended on me having control over my life, so that's what I'm doing," Leu explained.

"Llewellyn, running away is not going to help you get control over you life. You get control over your life by facing your problems, not by running from them," Severus sighed. "I myself had a lesson in that a few years back, and I found out quite painfully that all it does is hurt yourself and everyone that cares about you, not to mention it undermines everything you believe in. When you try to run from yourself, it does nothing but bring you more bad luck than you could possibly imagine."

"Rather hard to think I could run into any more bad luck," Llewellyn murmured.

"You could have run into it easily enough on the way here," Severus said disapprovingly. "From predators to the temperature to getting lost to possible exhaustion to the fact you might have gone in another direction all together... you had me sick with worry, and I really think you're quite lucky to have made it at all."

"I'm sorry," the boy said forlornly.

"You can be sorry later. Here, drink it. Don't worry, it tastes better than it smells," Severus said, handing him the mug. "So was Percy's home as bad as all of that?"

"No, but... I'm tired of being a burden to everyone. I was better off with the goblins, at least then I knew what was expected of me and earned my keep," Leu said.

"Is that what you really want? To go back to Myrkinbrek?" Severus asked seriously.

"No I just... I just want to belong somewhere! Anywhere! But I don't belong anywhere! I should have died with my parents, I should have drown too, and then I wouldn't have to be here right now!" Leu said, sobbing.

"Leu, death doesn't solve problems, it simply makes others around you have to deal with what problems you left behind. If you don't want to be a burden, that certainly isn't an answer. Now, don't utter another word until you've finished drinking that," Severus said sternly. "If you want to get out of this mess, you're going to have to learn how to set some basic goals about what you want out of life. Nothing is ever free, you know," he added, the boy nodding numbly at that and taking another sip. "Regardless of what Mr. Coventry might have said, happiness does not come in a box and it involves nothing less than a lot of hard work and constant maintenance. Trust me, Mr. Coventry is far from being a happy man right now. The 'easy' path never really is, and I have a feeling he's about to learn that lesson the hard way. You, however, know that lesson even better than half the adults I know. So perhaps it's time you put that to good use and figure out what you really want."

"I suppose asking to stay with you would be the easy way out," Leu asked slowly.

"No, that is most definitely the hard way," Severus said seriously. "My job is extremely demanding, Llewellyn. I am at the school most of the time, as is Professor Craw. Assuming that family services and the board of magistrates even approve of such an arrangement, you would be spending the majority of your first year and a half at my son Corey's house with his family. There would probably be a long line of responsibilities to attend to there, since he has a dynamic household that depends on everyone doing their part. You would only see my wife and myself one day on the weekend except for summer and winter holidays, and even then my time is quite limited. At those times, you will have yet another set of responsibilities such as extra reading to help keep you in tune with your studies and self defense exercises, since being associated with the Snape family will also turn you into a target for the long list of enemies my wife and I have accumulated over the years. And then, assuming you get accepted in Hogwarts, you will have to deal with having to separate how you see us as parents from the way you view us as the classroom, which I can assure you is not the easiest thing to do. And you would be expected to live up to much better than average marks, since it would reflect badly on all of the family if you didn't treat your studies with the utmost seriousness. You would have to become very self sufficient, but at the same time learn when to speak up and ask for help instead of diving out in the middle of the ocean every time things gets tough." Leu thought about it a moment.

"What's the easy way?" Leu asked.

"The easy way would simply to return to Percy and Penelope's house without any expectations and trust the Ministry to place you in a safe and loving home that has plenty of time to set aside for you and will do everything they can to make sure you can grow up healthy and happy."

"But you said I had to work on being happy," Leu said.

"You'll have to work at it no matter what you choose to do," Severus said, taking the mug from him and setting it aside. "But it is your choice. If you want to start taking control of your life, now's the time to start." Leu nodded solemnly at that. "Do you need time to think about it?"

"No, I know what I want to do," Leu admitted. "I want to take the hard way."

"Very well," Severus said expressionlessly. "We should probably get you back to Percy's then so we can discuss what hoops have to be jumped to make that happen. I suppose I don't have to warn you that you're also going to inherit a lot of siblings."

"I like them," Leu said with more enthusiasm than Severus had heard from him in a while. "Even if they are a bit odd."

"A bit odd? From the boy who can chase down Merrows?" Severus said indignantly. "Speaking of which, Capper, plot a course for home port, we're heading in. Drake, could you let Alicia know everything's under control here and we're on our way?" Severus asked. It took a moment for Leu to realize he was talking to the man in the painting.

"She's a bit busy attempting to give birth, sir, but I'll pass the message to the other Francis," Drake said, walking out of the painting. Severus stared at it a moment.

"How typical," Severus said before going to the galley to start some tea.

* * *

Severus slipped in the Pyther residence, unsurprised to see his wife comfortable on the couch with the baby in her arms, glowing as if it were her own.

"Isn't this your first day back to classes, Professor?" Severus asked disapprovingly.

"Now, don't you dare start. It's my lunch hour," Jennifer said. "I see you finally made it back, and dead on your feet, no less."

"And not done yet, it would seem. Percy has asked me to bring Corey and Rose down to fill out some extra paperwork since family services will want to pay some visits here," Severus said, sitting down beside her.

"So it's all going to work out?" Jennifer asked.

"That remains to be seen, but I think we're on the verge of turning that boy's luck around," Severus said. "Everything quiet here, I suppose, except for this little disturbance?"

"Except the fact that the morning papers are reporting that Regina filed for divorce," Jennifer said. "Hermione says she needs to speak to you about it. Apparently Regina is very determined to get it over with as soon as possible and isn't going to contest any monetary concerns, but is contesting custody. Hermione thinks Magistrate Muse himself is going to handle the case, and if so, he tends to give the children the option on which parent to go with when they're Hogwarts age."

"Well, if one of them says 'neither,' I am _not_ adopting them too," Severus protested, but Jennifer gazed at him with amusement.

"Considering how many relatives they have, I doubt that would ever happen," Jennifer reassured him. "I'm just afraid that the two parents will starting playing up to them just to get custody."

"A very likely possibility, considering who we're dealing with," Severus admitted. "If it comes down to taking those children out for legal proceedings before school is out, I believe I will escort them myself."

"Good afternoon!" Francis said happily as he stepped in from the back room. "And what do you think of your new granddaughter?"

"We have yet to be introduced, actually. As usual, Jennifer is hording her," Severus said expressionlessly.

"I'm so sorry, Severus!" Jennifer blurted out; handing her over while Francis chuckled lightly. "This is Miss Dawn Matilda Pyther, born just after dawn as a matter of fact."

"Yes, Alicia happens to be blaming me for that, considering I chose the name," Francis admitted with a grin.

"Sagittari says it's very good luck for a girl being born in the mornings when Venus is still up," Jennifer protested. "He said that her kind and gentle ways will help contain her Snape temperament."

"What temperament?" Severus squinted. Francis decided to look the other way while Jennifer chuckled softly at him. "Besides, our children's temperaments are nothing compared to others I could name."

* * *

It was only a few weeks later that Don, Mike and Beth found themselves walking in the Ministry towards the courts in their best Hogwarts clothes. Their father was waiting outside, and after asking for a moment alone, Severus nodded briskly and stepped further down the hall, glancing at his watch before getting out a book.

"Here we are, it's almost time! Now, don't forget what we discussed in our letters," Abraxus said in a voice barely above a whisper as he leaned over to straighten Beth's coat. "Elizabeth, the best of dress and robe shops... whatever you like, and I promise you'll have the best debutante ball ever, along with a trip abroad afterwards to explore the world wherever your heart takes you. And Donald, season tickets and the best seats in the house for your favorite Quidditch and football teams, a new familiar, and the best broom money can buy. And Michael, tickets for you as well, of course, and I promise things will be different at home. You can have some of your friends over and you can have anything you want... just name it, whatever you like."

"How about making up with Mother and getting back together again?" Mike suggested, and Abraxus cleared his throat.

"Yes, well, anything other than that," Abraxus said, standing back up again. "Come along, children!" he said in a much louder tone. "Let's get this over with. I'm sure the Professor is anxious to get back."

"No trouble. Take as long as need be," Severus said unconcernedly, opening the door for them.

"There they are... it's Abraxus! He was out there fraternizing with them!" Regina said angrily while both councilors rolled their eyes from their sides of the room.

"I was just talking to them, Regina, and they are not the enemy here," Abraxus said.

"You are the enemy," Regina snapped, but then they heard the clearing of a throat as Magistrate Muse entered the room.

"Did I or did I not ask the both of you to refrain from such sentiments while your children were present?" Muse said sternly. "I don't want to have to clear you both out of the room, but I shall if you force my wand." Abraxus straightened his formal robes and took a seat by his counselor, refusing to look in her direction despite her fierce look straight at him.

"Now, would the three Coventry children step up here, please?" the Magistrate said in a much gentler tone, and solemnly they did so while Severus took a seat near the back of the empty room. "In the interests of your personal welfares and the willingness by both your parents to put this separation behind them as quickly as possible, you have been given the right to decide which parent will acquire custody...meaning, the parent who will be your guardian in all legal concerns from now on as well as who you will go home to in the summer. I want you to understand, however, that they are both your parents whomever you choose, and you will, of course, have plenty of opportunities to see them both. Just because they are divorcing doesn't mean they're any less your parents," Muse explained, but there was little reaction from any of them. "And being your parents, I am sure they will support your decision regardless of who you choose. I only ask that you choose the parent whom you feel has your best interests at heart. Now, I suppose we ought to start with the lady first. Unless you're not ready, Miss Coventry?"

"I'm ready," Elizabeth said evenly. "I'd like to be with my father, please." Abraxus beamed with pride, while Regina looked quite devastated.

"Quite certain?" Muse asked.

"Quite certain," Beth agreed.

"And you, Mr. Donald Coventry?" Muse asked.

"My father, of course. Without question," Don said emphatically, Abraxus turning even smugger.

"And last but not least, Mr. Michael Coventry?" Mike looked straight at the magistrate.

"I'd like to go with my mother," Michael said. Regina lifted her head in surprise. Even Magistrate Muse was staring at the boy.

"Quite certain?" Muse asked again.

"Yes, quite certain," Mike said seriously.

"My darling!" Regina said in mixed relief and grief, pulling him over and fussing much more than Mike really cared for at his age.

"I didn't want that one anyway. He's been a waste of time for over a year now," Abraxus snorted with distaste as he got up, ignoring the disapproving look on Muse's face.

"And since they have chosen to be with different parents, they will be given special visitation rights to spend time with each other as well," Muse said firmly. "Will they be returning to school today?"

"Yes, Magistrate," Abraxus said with a nod.

"I don't want them to be a part of this proceeding any more than necessary, Magistrate," Regina said.

"Very well, I'll let you have an hour with your children before we resume to work out the details," the Magistrate said. He got up and walked past them over to Severus, who opened the door for him and stepped out after him.

"It's very unusual, Severus, for siblings to decide on different parents like that, especially twin siblings," Muse said quietly. "And yet you seemed less surprised. In fact, I saw you nodding to yourself when Michael chose to go with his mother, as if you were expecting it."

"Hoping, rather," Severus admitted.

"Then it's a good thing?" Muse asked.

"Yes, I believe so, although it makes me more concerned for the other two," Severus admitted. Muse thought about that for a moment, then nodded.

"I think I'll make certain they're welfare is followed up on by family services this summer to make sure this arrangement works out," Muse decided, Severus nodding approvingly as the Magistrate excused himself to go to his office.

A few minutes later, Regina walked out with an arm around Mike, who seemed quite uncomfortable with the affection.

"I'll see you in a few months, Michael. Your grandfather will send a coach to pick you up at the station," Regina said.

"Yes, Mother," Mike said, and found himself getting kissed on the cheek again before she went back in the room. He glanced up at the Professor's thoughtful face before he silently took one of the seats to wait for his other siblings.

"You did the right thing, you know," Severus said quietly.

"Yes, and I hated it," Mike snapped. "I hate this whole thing." Severus was still debating if there really was anything he could say to make it any easier when the door opened again as Abraxus brought the other two out.

"Oh, there you are, Severus. Children, I'll see you at Hogsmeade, we'll make a run on the town! Be good at school, and keep those marks up!" Abraxus said.

"When do I get my broom?" Don demanded..

"I'll send it with the next post," Abraxus promised. "Now, don't forget what I told you. Stay proud of who you are and don't you dare let anyone trouble you about this divorce. It's all for the best for everyone."

"Yes, father," Beth said.

Abraxus turned and went back inside, not even acknowledging that Mike was standing there. Severus also didn't miss the fact that as he brought them back to the school that neither Beth nor Don seemed much interested in acknowledging Mike's presence either.

* * *

Jennifer sat across from the desk and watched Severus work that evening, distracted despite the fact she had promised herself to finish the last of her class pre-OWLS and NEWT reviews on potions.

"It's sad to watch how far apart those twins have been growing, even after all the trouble they used to get into together," Jennifer said with a sigh. "In times like this when they don't feel like they can count on their parents, they should be able to count on each other... just like our four did when they were young."

"They also got into their fair share of fights, Jennifer," Severus reminded her.

"Not many, Severus. They never ignored one another like this..."

"They most certainly did. Aurelius and Alicia especially went through phases where they weren't speaking to the others..."

"But when the going got tough, they all pulled together to get through it," Jennifer argued. "Besides, I really don't think that Alicia or Aurelius would ever let anything come between them and another family member again... most especially Aurelius, with all he's been through."

"Vote for Malfoy! Vote for Malfoy!" cawed a large raven from the windowsill above.

"Look, Severus, it's Hastings," Jennifer said.

"And it actually has news for us instead of Maurice for a change," Severus said with feigned surprise that Jennifer shook her head at him.

"Down with Abraxass! Down with Abraxass!" Hastings cawed, holding out a rolled message in his claw.

"Now why is it that I don't think that mispronunciation is an accident?" Severus asked.

"Never mind that, what's the note about?" Jennifer asked. Severus stared at it a moment.

"It would appear that I am needed at the Tower, ironically enough," Severus said with a sigh, grabbing his cloak. "Hermione has already gone home for the evening, so watch the castle."

"Why are you going to the Tower? I don't see what's ironic about that," Jennifer said.

"Because it would appear that Andrew and Aurelius have been arrested for being public nuisances after getting into a combination fist and wand fight outside of Andrew's house," Severus explained briskly.

"What?" Jennifer said agape.

"Trust me, I'm as baffled as you are," Severus said, hurrying of the study.

* * *

Aurelius let out a sigh and stared at the ceiling, well aware that Andrew was still frothing mad in the cell next to him, pacing like a caged cat just waiting to turn on anyone who came near him.

But then Aurelius noticed the time on the clock outside the bars and got up, rubbing his aching back as he stood and tried to put his hair in some order. Within five minutes after her shift was over, Ginger was let in and gave a passing glance at Andrew's furious blackened eyes and loose hair before going over to the cell where Aurelius was.

"I see that went well," Ginger murmured.

"I told you it wouldn't," Aurelius said quietly back.

"You should have let me handle it," Ginger said.

"He wouldn't have been any easier on you," Aurelius said..

"That didn't mean you had to rough him up, Rel." Ginger said.

"Actually, we were equal parts in it if you ask me. I just had the Aegis on, is all. My back is a mess..."

"You're not going to get any sympathy from me," Ginger warned. "You told me you were going to be calm and understanding about all this."

"I was calm and understanding. He's the one that blew a crater... no trust me, Ginger. When he gets mad, he blows craters," Aurelius said.

"I can't believe you two were seeing each other behind my back!" Andrew shouted furiously, despite the fact he couldn't see either of them from that angle.

"It was none of your business!" Aurelius said, enunciating each word.

"You are a filthy traitor! I can't believe you would do this to me!" Andrew shouted at him.

"It wasn't about you!" Aurelius snapped back. "Not everything that happens to other people has something to do with you!"

Ginger put her hands on her forehead.

"I can't handle this right now. I think I'm going to go see where the guard went," Ginger said.

"No, don't leave," they both pleaded at once, and then Andrew began calling Aurelius names again.

Ginger walked over towards the door, ignoring their immediate protests at her actions. But just then, the door opened and the guard smiled reassuringly at her before stepping aside. Severus stormed in, the spark of anger in his own eyes immediately subduing the two men in the cell.

"Dare I ask what the meaning of all this is?" Severus asked, standing against the wall so he could see into both cells. Ginger came over and stood beside him, folding her arms and scowling at them in support. "Exactly why have the two of you reverted to teenagers yet again? Well? Someone had better be answering, especially considering I happen to employ one of you," he warned, looking over at Andrew. But Andrew simply turned around, fuming in the other direction.

"I'll explain," Aurelius said, stepping over to the bars. "We were fighting because I decided it was time he found out that I was planning to get married."

"Why would that..." Severus paused and looked over at Ginger, who gave him a sheepish grin. "Ah."

"You're right about the inconvenience thing, Father," Aurelius continued. "That's why I didn't want to tell anyone...at first because I wasn't sure it was going to work, and later because I wanted to make sure Andrew heard about it before anyone else. I had a feeling he was going to get this way considering how he'd been acting towards Ginger latey. At least give me some credit for having him meet me at the house instead of trying to explain this to him at the school."

"Thank you," Severus said dryly. "But I think it might have worked out better if you had warned me about this, Aurelius."

"It was something I thought would be better kept between us, but as you can see, he took it personal," Aurelius explained.

"Of course I took it personal! You stole my girl!" Andrew shouted.

"She is not your girl!" Aurelius shouted right back.

"I'm my own person, thanks," Ginger interrupted. "I'll decide for myself who I want to be with! Aurelius and I have a lot in common, Andrew. We have similar goals in life and interests, and he believes in commitment whether it's to his job or to his family..."

"If he was committed to his family, he wouldn't have gone out with you in the first place!" Andrew snapped.

"I told you already, Andrew, we didn't start seeing each other until last Yule. It had been over a year since she broke up with you," Aurelius sighed with exasperation.

"You should have consulted me!"

"For what, advice on Ginger? I managed just fine, thanks. In fact, she thinks I'm much better in bed than you are," Aurelius said casually. Andrew slammed against the bars with a fierce growl, lashing out in a futile attempt to reach the other cell.

"Well, he is," Ginger shrugged. Aurelius smiled thinly at her. "Truth Seekers make better lovers. Isn't that right, Professor?"

"You really don't expect me to argue the point, do you?" Severus said expressionlessly.

"Well, Aurelius can always tell what I want before I know how to express it, and he's always paying attention and engaged no matter what we're doing. Of course, that does have its disadvantages at times. He's very hard to surprise..."

"Invisibility Potion," Severus said under his breath. Aurelius looked between them with keen interest.

"Now there's an idea," Ginger said with a mischievous smile.

"Also, if you find that after a few months things start to feel a bit one-sided and that you're being led rather than participating, you'll find the occasional Telepathy Potion will go a long way to even things up again... but don't overuse them, or you'll get the most dreadful headache like you can not possibly imagine."

"Which one is safest?" Ginger asked.

"Let me write it down for you," Severus offered, digging in his pocket for some notepaper.

"He's giving them sex advice," Andrew said in stunned horror. "I don't believe it! My own father is giving them sex advice!"

"Andrew, I am in no way being lewd. Ginger happens to be in a rather unique position in marrying a Truth Seeker, and it happens to be something I know something about. If through my experience I can help them get off on the right foot by avoiding some of the more persistent problems, I will do so provided that the advice is wanted," Severus said, scribbling it down and holding it out.

"It is. Thank you," Ginger said with a smile, taking it.

"Still feel cursed by Snapes?" Severus asked her.

"For the rest of my life, yep," Ginger agreed.

"Welcome to the family," Severus said, glancing up. "Andrew, while you're cooling off in there, you might start practicing calling her sister, if I were you," he advised, then looked over to the guard. "I'll bail this one out. The other I'll find a substitute for tomorrow," Severus decided.

"So I'm off the hook?" Aurelius asked as they opened his cell.

"I wouldn't say that," Severus said, folding his arms. "I'm simply letting you out so you can tell your mother about all of this."

"Great," Aurelius said sarcastically but with a thin smile, accepting a hug from Ginger on their way out of the room.

In the other cell, Andrew slumped over on the bunk in resignation.


	40. The Tale of a Rhett Heron

Chapter Forty

The Tale of a Rhett Heron

As spring took the school by force and the moods of most of the students and staff began to improve, Professor Andrew seemed to be in the worst temperament of his life. Many who had always had trouble seeing light-hearted Andrew as being related to the other Snapes saw it blast through him at full strength. He brooded at the dinner table and in the classroom, stomped about the halls, and slammed doors off hinges to the point it made Aurelius' temperament a year before pale in comparison. Students quickly learned to tread lightly around him, and somehow all the 'fun' parts of learning Transfiguration that Andrew strove to put into his class faded into a no-nonsense straight-by-the-book subject. Even his top students began to dread his class, let alone the students like Lucky who had been barely keeping her marks up. Wondering when exactly she got sent to military school, Lucky did her best to keep one up on the subject in and many hours were spent with both Laura and Dale attempting to keep herself within 'Snape standards.'

To make matters worse, Andrew, it seemed, was not the only professor out of sorts. Professor Heron had gotten more restless and distracted over time, only seeming to focus in when someone in his class did something that needed disciplinary action. He also looked like he was losing a bit of sleep, and in this, Lucky had a good idea why. She had been asked to stay out of it and she was trying her best to do so, but he was not making it easy, especially since the Professor didn't seem to be in any hurry to do anything about it. Instead, Severus seemed willing to bide his time on that issue in hopes that Heron would come to him on his own. There were other matters still to deal with, after all, and after spending almost a week having dinner at the Pig's Pannage, Severus was ready to take an indigestion potion and arrange for Lunette Valid to come up to his office.

"Are you certain you don't want to go for criminal charges instead?" Lunette asked again. "You can always get another counselor for this case, Severus. I'll gladly testify for you that Nelson used that potion on the stairs, and now that you somehow managed to get Sludgebat to admit to the Ministry that Nelson was the one who bought that potion... how did you manage that again?"

"Blackmail," Professor Snape admitted. Lunette gazed at him searchingly. "Oh, not by me, and quite legally, I assure you. When the whole thing came out, Boulderdash casually mentioned to me that in goblin society that blackmail is considered a common business practice and is only illegal against bank representatives. So I got in touch with Earsinge, who knows a thing or two about the rumors about Heckletown, and he in turn pulled in Rinan Scur, who owed me a favor anyway, and the two of them started digging. For some reason, Sludgebat did not want the fact that part of the deal he made with Lucius Malfoy to get that new apothecary in Diagon Alley was if he promised to intentionally poison several of his own clients that Malfoy had taken issue with over the years." Lunette whistled low.

"Quite a bombshell," Lunette agreed. "And one that'd shut him down permanently."

"Not that I am all that surprised, as often as I ran into problems every time a student got any ingredients from that shop," Severus said. "Even now Jennifer occasionally has to fight it, although more of a percentage go to Corey's now than in years past. At any rate, goblin testimony or not, it is still enough of an accusation to file a lawsuit against Nelson, since he would be ultimately responsible for what happened with that potion after that point regardless if we can prove that he personally put it there or not."

"And all I have to do is turn this case over to someone else and look him in the eye and testify that he did it, Severus, and he'd be guilty of fraud and gross negligence resulting in injury..."

"Which he'll still be guilty of if I simply sue him for having the potion made in the first place," Severus pointed out.

"With no jail time," Lunette said disapprovingly.

"And if he was put in jail, he'd be out in a few years bent on revenge, and I am not putting my family through that again," Severus said firmly. "I want him put away as badly as you do if not more so, Lunette, but I would also like it to be a permanent arrangement, one way or another. If I leave it now, it'll be more they can tack on later when he's really put to trial, and I have faith enough in Potter and my father-in-law to find something that will stick for sentence without the parole. The entire foul truth of it all was that he did this only for money, and personally I think suing him is appropriate retaliation. Not to mention it'd help recover our nonexistent retirement somewhat."

"Fine, but I think you're making a mistake waiting on criminal charges," Lunette said seriously, getting up. "It's been a while since I've handled a leeching case rather than criminal, so I'm going to go consult one of my local partners and file this for you."

"So no early predictions of success?" Severus inquired.

"Predictions? On this evidence?" Lunette said. "No predictions needed, Severus. You and Jennifer will get everything you asked for," she said with such certainty that Severus marked of Slugbat's and Byron's names the moment she left. He then searched through his post and pulled out a brown wrapped cylinder. Scowling as he attempted to find the article he was looking for, he studied it carefully before making a note on the list and going back to work.

Helena and Beth huddled at the far end of the table, partially covering the magazine with a large Herbology tome.

"I haven't seen any of these photos before," Helena murmured, pointing out someone on the football pitch. "Is that him?"

"Yes, he was cute even then, wasn't he? Better looking now, of course," Beth murmured back. "Apparently these were all taken the summer he and Lucky met, that's why they're coming out now. He was still doing commercials then, Second Chance hadn't become well known until later."

"Really? I always thought they met here at school," Helena said.

"Not according to the article, although it does say that Dale noticed her before that but was too shy to approach her," Beth explained.

"I can't see Dale being too shy to approach anybody. Are there any pictures of Lucky at all? Most of these are of Dale," Helena said.

"Just that one," Beth said, pointing out the girl who was in mid-kick shooting a ball in a vain attempt to get past Dale at the net.

"Really? Are you sure that's her?" Helena asked.

"It's what the caption says..."

Just then, someone plucked the magazine away and the two looked up to see Bindy standing there, looking at the two of them disapprovingly.

"Reading Muggle magazines instead of eating breakfast?" Bindy said critically. "Oh, no! Not more Second Chance extras, I thought you grew out of those, Elizabeth. Wait, is that Snape? I almost forgot how much of a porker she used to be."

"Give Beth back her magazine, Bindy," Helena sighed.

"Don't give it back to her, Bindy. She's going to warp her mind if she keeps reading that trash," Don said.

"It's definitely trash," Bindy agreed, scanning it a moment before rolling her eyes. "'Despite his open affection any time he speaks about her, Dale Chance still insists that he and Lucky are simply very close friends, apparently blind to the fact that the rest of the world has come to the conclusion that the two of them are meant for each other.'" Don began to gag.

"Donald, please? Some of us are still trying to eat, no matter how corny it is," Michelle said.

"Well I agree with him, it's sickening. I liked it much better when they were bashing her all the time instead of these PR articles that's been coming out lately. Just friends? That's a laugh! I've seen how they hang on each other in the halls," Bindy said, getting up.

"Where are you going?" Michelle asked her with a frown, but Bindy simply smiled wickedly and strode over to the Ravenclaw table where Dale and Bobby were sitting. She glanced over at her own table to see that the majority of them were watching her before she walked over to Dale, who simply glanced over his shoulder questioningly.

"Do you mind if I ask you something? It's about an article I saw about you in a Muggle magazine some of my housemates were passing around," Michelle asked, trying to hide her distaste.

"If it was about me, I'd be glad to confirm or debunk anything," Dale agreed.

"Well, the article was a bunch about how you and Lucky met in football camp, but what stuck out was the fact that you said that you and Lucky were just close friends," Bindy said.

"I have no idea who fed them that story," Dale instantly protested, shaking his head. "But we are just close friends, Bindy."

"Are you quite sure?" Bindy asked, leaning as if to catch his eye.

"Positive. We're just close friends," Dale agreed.

"Good," Bindy said and quickly grabbed his shoulders and kissed him, the noisy whooping from the Slytherin table getting everyone's attention.

A dog pile seemed to form in the middle of the Gryffindor table even as Dale pushed her away with a disgusted look on his face. He was unaware that behind him a wand hand managed to emerge from the pile and a spell hit Bindy dead on, wiping off her triumphant smile. In fact, she seemed to be turning a strange mottled green and was going smaller by the second until finally everyone found themselves staring at a particularly ugly horny toad.

"Oh, brilliant! Well done, Lucky! You're finally getting the hang of that spell!" Laura said with enthusiasm as Lucky broke free of the pile and strode furiously up with her wand still in hand.

"Just what's going on here?" Lucky demanded, looking straight at Dale who was obviously getting ready to explain he had nothing to do with it.

"I'll tell her! I saw the whole thing!" Delia said, pushing her way through the crowd. "Bindy came over here and was flirting with Dale, and Dale was egging her on."

"What?" Dale said aghast. "I wasn't egging her on!"

"Yes he was! When she was coming on to him, he told her that you two were just friends," Delia explained accusingly.

"That's not what happened, Lucky..." Dale began.

"Yes it was," Bobby said from right beside him, and Dale stared him. "That's exactly what he said. He told her you guys were just friends, so she felt he was fair game."

"Yes, that's exactly what happened," Pimra chimed in.

"Have you got a problem with our relationship?" Lucky demanded angrily. Dale suddenly felt like he was trapped alone in a cave with an angry dragon.

"Um... I think everyone read way, _way_ too much into that..."

"'Cuz if you're done with me, I wanna know about it!"

"No! Look, I had nothing to do with that, it was her idea, not mine!" Dale protested.

"Just like Duffy, is that it?"

"Well, yeah, except that was work..."

"I don't care what the reason is! If it happens again, you can find yourself another girlfriend!" Lucky shouted at him.

"You mean you're my girlfriend now?" Dale asked cautiously.

"What are you, stupid?" Lucky snapped. Down the hall, a flurry of brown owl feathers fell into the goals case, even while Dale was still blinking at her.

Suddenly he felt stiffness from more than shock, and he realized that he and everyone around him was frozen in place from the neck down.

"Just what is going on in here?" Heron demanded as he stormed up, taking in the entire scene before finally spying the prickly creature. It was easy to figure out who did it even if Lucky hadn't been obviously worked up, because she was the only one with her wand out. "Miss Snape? Did you transfigure a fellow student?"

"No, I just restored her to her natural form, that's all," Lucky said. Someone at the table snickered.

"Professor Heron?" Bobby chimed in. "Bindy Carr came over here and accosted Lucky's boyfriend against his will." Dale gave his friend a dirty look for his sudden change in support.

"That certainly doesn't give Miss Snape the right to turn Bindy into a lizard, no matter what she did," Heron said.

"Would you like for me to take care of the matter with Miss Carr, Professor?" Madame Brittle asked from right beside him, despite the fact that he hadn't even noticed her walk up.

"Thank you, Madame Brittle," Heron agreed, releasing the students from the spell. They all sighed in relief at behind able to move again, while Lucky ruefully handed over her wand to Heron and found herself being herded to the Defense office. As Madame Brittle restored Bindy and helped the shaky student out in the other direction, Laura looked around, spying Delia still standing nearby.

"Well, I'd say that's one up for Delia, I think," Laura declared.

The rest of the Owls broke out into an appreciative clap, while the other students looked around, confused as to what the fuss was about. Delia nodded to them and went back to their table with a smug look on her face, knowing full well that she had none of them had any idea she had even more to do with that situation than any of them probably guessed.

* * *

Lucky looked around the office curiously as she was carted in, for a great deal of equipment was spread out. The last time she had been in trouble, it had been relatively neat; but today all sort of gadgets were laying everywhere. It didn't take long for her to figure out why, however, for she happened to spy a lumpy bag sitting next to a microscope holding a small piece of mummified wrappings.

"So that's where that thing went," Lucky said as Heron shut the door, frowning at her. "The paw. Did ya buy it to study it?"

"I didn't buy it at all, it was Owled to me," he said irritably, striding over to the desk.

"Oh yeah? You had any bad luck?" Lucky asked.

"Any bad luck I've had has nothing to do with this unmagical, unimpressive, and slightly repulsive memento!" Heron snapped angrily.

"Who are you tryin' to convince?" Lucky challenged him.

"And you are not going to distract me with your trivial inquiries, Miss Snape! You know better than to cast a spell like that at a student. That'll be twenty-five points off Gryffindor, and you'll be coming back here after dinner tonight for detention," Heron said sternly.

"But I have to study Transfiguration!"

"I think you've studied it enough for more than one day, don't you? Now go to your first class, and I had better not hear about you bumping into Bindy in the halls for the rest of the day... accidental or otherwise," Heron said.

"Yeah, yeah," Lucky sighed, and walked out of the office.

Except for the icy stares coming from Bindy and her friends in class, Lucky's day went by quickly... much quicker than she would have liked. She went to lunch in the Owl Room to avoid as many of the questions and congratulations as possible, and then went to dinner in the Great Hall for the exact same reason.

But as she was coming out of the Great Hall, she heard her name called and looked around to see Delia and Mike hurrying out to meet her.

"Mind if I talk to you for a minute, Lucky?" Delia asked.

"Long as it's fast. I have to go to detention," Lucky admitted.

"This will only take a moment," Delia said with a short sigh. "I thought it was about time you knew about something, Lucky. I mean, about all the hype in the American papers over the last year. You see... well, that was me. Both the good and the bad."

"Ya, I know," Lucky said.

"You do?" Delia said with a frown. "You knew the whole time?"

"No, not the whole time, even though I suspected it. I was convinced you were doing it on purpose, until the damage control stuff came out. That's when I knew for sure it was you, because the stuff getting said was not just stuff that an Owl would know; there was a lot that came out that only my direct family would know. That's when I remembered you coming over on Christmas to talk to the Professor. It was pretty easy to figure out what happened then, especially after I remembered you telling us you had an American pen pal that you thought was a lot like you," Lucky said. Delia felt her face grow hot.

"We were not as much alike as I thought," Delia said.

"Maybe not as alike as I thought either," Lucky admitted, and Delia nodded reassuringly at that. "It's okay. Friends, ya?"

"Friends?" Delia repeated with a timid smile. "I didn't think you'd ever consider me a friend, Lucky."

"Sure, you have tons of friends, not just Mike and Ambrose either. The rest of the Owls are your friends too, you know."

"And here I was afraid I'd get kicked out," Delia said with relief.

"Well, if you had done it on purpose, you would've gotten kicked out," Lucky said seriously.

"If I had done it on purpose, I would have deserved it," Delia agreed. "Thanks, Lucky. It really is nice to have so many friends now."

"Friends? You have friends?" said a voice from behind them as Don stepped over to them with an open look of disgust. "Don't fool yourself, Delia, nobody would waste their time on you."

"She's my friend, Don," Mike said evenly.

"Fine... nobody except squib-loving momma's boys who would rather give up living with his siblings then get too far from the womb," Don said.

"Oh, leave him alone! He's never criticized your decision to go with that cheating stuffed robe of a father, and I think he'd have good reason to," Delia said defensively.

"I didn't want to have to choose between them at all!" Mike interrupted angrily. "I didn't do it because I wanted to be away from you and Beth, either! If I've learned anything in the last year, it's that I want to be my own person, Don, and not just your twin brother, but I knew if I went with you and Beth and father that I couldn't be. That doesn't mean I don't want to be your brother, you know. Really, can't you just let it go and just accept me for who I am so we can get back to acting like a family again?"

"We may both be Coventry's," Don said with disdain, "but we won't ever be family again. Ever," he said with certainty. "My family is Slytherin," he added for good measure before walking back into the Great Hall, completely oblivious to the lost look on Mike's face.

"Come on, Mike. Let's go back to the common room and play some cards or something," Delia suggested.

"No, you go on to the library with your friends, Delia. I need to go finish a report anyway," Mike said.

"Do you want to borrow one of my Dictation Quills?" Delia offered, but Mike wandered off without answering. "Poor Mike! Isn't there anything we can do, Lucky? If only he were an Owl too, then perhaps he'd let us help him through this... or at least give him a chance to make up with Beth if nothing else."

"But we're filled up," Lucky reminded her.

"You don't think the Professor would make an exception?" Delia asked.

"I don't know. You know he's the one who insisted on we keep it even. I can't see him allowing it unless we added one in all the other houses too," Lucky said. Delia sighed.

"Yeah, you're right. Maybe I'll talk to Ambrose about all this. Maybe he'll have some ideas on how we can help Mike," Delia said.

"Just keep the newspapers out of it this time," Lucky advised. Delia grinned and nodded in agreement before hurrying towards the library. Lucky took her time going up the stairs, lost in thought and finding herself more than a little concerned about Mike. But knowing what day it was, Lucky decided to take a short detour and peered into the gym, unsurprised to see Boulderdash warming up. But as she crept in, she noticed his ear twitch and dove just in time as a knife went zooming over he head.

"I thought you had detention tonight, Miss Snape," Boulderdash said, squinting.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm goin,'" Lucky protested, quickly picking herself up off the floor. "But I wanted to ask you something first. When the Owls first started, you told us we couldn't have more than twenty, and I was thinkin' maybe it's time we evened that up. Unless, of course, you don't think you can handle it." Boulderdash snorted at that, a soft growl deep in his throat.

"Was that meant as a challenge, a threat, or a manipulation tactic?" he asked.

"All of 'em," Lucky shrugged, and the growl deepened into low chuckle.

"You'll have to clear it with the Headmaster, Miss Snape. Although I might advise you wait a few days until after he forgets you turned a fellow student into a reptile, no matter _how_ much of an improvement it was," Boulderdash said.

"Miss Snape!" Lucky quickly turned around, unsurprised to see the very irritable Professor Heron standing in the doorway. "You were instructed to go straight to the Defense rooms after dinner!"

"Fine, I'm going," Lucky sighed, walking out the door and further down the hall.

"And just what was she doing in here in the first place?" Rhett asked after eyeing the knife in the far wall.

"I was busy advising her to speak to the Headmaster about something. But unlike you, I am quite certain she'll heed that advice," Boulderdash said. Rhett squinted at him. "Perhaps it's time you did the same."

"I still think I would be getting a lot farther if you were helping me," Rhett said.

"I may agree with you in principle, Professor Heron, but it'll take more than that for me or anyone else on this staff to go against the Headmaster when he's made up his mind on something," Boulderdash said.

"Even if it means covering up for a criminal?" Rhett frowned sternly at him.

"Obviously," Boulderdash sneered.

Rhett shifted uncomfortably, wondering if there was any way of asking what he meant by that without outing his own activities. Deciding against it, he instead turned to follow Lucky back to the Defense Rooms.

"You'll be dusting and organizing my bookshelves, Miss Snape," Rhett declared the moment he walked in, loosening his tie. "I advise you not to open any of them or cast any spells since there are quite a few of them have curses on them, especially most of the ones with locks on them. You're simply to dust them and put them back where they belong. I need to set up the last of these test reviews, so I expect you'll do so quietly if you expect me to be thorough on them," he advised, handing her a cloth and taking a seat at his desk.

"Fine," Lucky sighed, going over to the bookshelf. "Man, you sure got a lot of books on cursed items. You've got even more than Professor Craw does, and she's obsessed with them..."

"Did I or did I not say to do your job quietly?" Rhett snapped.

"What if I have a question?" Lucky asked.

"I doubt you'll have any, but if you run into a book you feel uncomfortable with dusting, simply set it on top... and don't you dare start putting them all up there," he added for good measure.

Lucky quieted down and began to dust, reading as she went to make sure she was putting them in the right place so she wouldn't have to stay any longer than necessary. But as she read through them, she couldn't help but get interested in what was in there. There was an entire shelf dedicated to law books; the majority of which seemed to be import and export laws on magical artifacts around the world, including a few she recognized as goblin script. Perhaps that made sense, considering his interest, she mused, if he had taught items at some point; although they were quite extensive. At the end of the shelf were two large volumes on criminal law, one from the Ministry and one from the Scandinavian Council. It was obvious from the lack of dust that the Ministry one had been consulted recently, although that too made sense considering what he was teaching.

But what surprised her most was when she got to the next shelf and began going through the item books, for many of them had the same binding and were dated by year, and were entitled _Magical Items, Artifacts and Exotics._ Deciding to risk a quick glance, Lucky pretended as if it accidentally fell open on its own and saw that it was pages filled with charts listing items and various ranges for appraisals.

"Careful!" Heron said with a scowl. "I really don't feel like having to stop and cart you up to the medical wing due to clumsiness, Miss Snape."

"I haven't started on the dangerous ones yet," Lucky said, glancing up at the shelf where many tightly locked books trembled, many of them with sinister eyes sometimes appearing out from the binding.

"You don't know that for sure. Just because something looks harmless doesn't mean it's safe. Really, Miss Snape, I know you're now my top student, but with your marks you ought to know better than that, especially after being warned," Heron said with exasperation, turning back to his work.

Lucky got back to dusting, but the more volumes she found, the more baffled she was by their presence. Despite his collection of gadgets, Heron's office was modest, and although well kept up, so was his attire. Even his private rooms were plain and dull, and yet his books would indicate that he had a very keen interest in the value of items. The titles of the items listed were even more intriguing, for many of them were historic volumes and lists of known artifacts with a few books on identification and handling cursed items thrown in for good measure. She was onto something, she was quite sure of that; but she had no idea exactly what.

As she was finishing that shelf and was almost ready to move onto the next, she saw Heron get up to get a letter from a great horned owl that Lucky didn't recognize. She pretended to dust the book she had in her hand while watching his furrowed expression out of the corner of the eye. He growled softly to himself, crumpling it up angrily and throwing it into the fire, looking even more stressed than he had been before. As if that hadn't been enough, there was a rapping at the door, and he scowled with even more annoyance when he saw Carnegie himself standing there.

"Your pardon, Professor Heron, but I've been asked by Professor Snape to remind you that Miss Snape has tests coming up, and if it gets too late tonight would you please continue detention sometime tomorrow?" John said. Lucky grimaced at the thought of having to come back the next day.

"I'm getting it done already, give me a break! I'll get it done tonight," Lucky protested, while Heron gave the bookshelf a cursory look.

"I imagine she'll get it done before curfew easily, so there's no need for that," Heron said, waving the idea aside much to Lucky's relief. "Anything else?"

"Only a small personal request of mine, Professor," Carnegie said with only a cursory glance towards Lucky. "If you have another urge of going through my office again, could you please make certain t'leave the horsehair chair in the corner or remember to put it back there if you find a reason to move it?" he asked. Heron stared at him. "You see, that chair happens t'belong t' Mrs. Norris, and she tends t'take it out on the students if she feels her space has been intruded upon, you see."

"How dare you accuse me of such a thing? And in front of a student, no less!" Heron snapped.

"Not at all, Professor. I wasn't accusing you of anything," Carnegie said with a calm smile. "You're quite welcome to search my rooms whenever you like, although it might save time if ye'd tell me what your lookin' for so I might find it for you."

"You know perfectly well what I'm looking for!" Heron snapped at him.

But before he could continue, he heard the sound of books falling behind him. Lucky, who had moved to get a better view of the argument, accidentally bumped her elbow against the bookshelf and toppled several books off the top two shelves. Heron barked out a quick warning when he saw some of the books had come open, and several different things happened at once. As Heron dove towards Lucky, a row of blades jetted out from one of the books, Lucky somehow managing to get out of the way as they suddenly took off like projectiles. A thick black mist poured out of another, but Heron had no choice but to push Lucky through it to get her away from the majority of curses going off at once. It was then that Carnegie jumped into action, morphing into his animal form as he dodged the blades darting through the air, leaping up at an impressive height and with great agility landing on the blade-cursed book, the blades falling to the floor and disappearing as the monkey snapped the lock tight.

"Wait!" Heron shouted, still with one arm around the strangely-colored Lucky as he brought out his wand, aiming it at the menacing dark mist. As he chanted, it began to contract into a bubble, and Carnegie was able to crawl safely underneath the gas and snap that book shut as well. Cut off from its source, the black mist began to dissipate, and as Carnegie went through the books to make certain there were no other surprises, Heron stood up with Lucky in arms. She was still awake but too weak to speak, her skin a chalky white. "That book was on withering curses. She's going to need immediate medical attention!"

Carnegie made a high-pitched noise and ran out in front of him, and as Heron got out in the hall, he saw Carnegie take a side corridor and realized he was going for Sagittari. Quickly locking the door, Heron hurried towards the hospital wing.

* * *

When Severus arrived, the two of them found John and Rhett looking glum and apologetic just outside.

"The missus is already inside, Professor," John said.

"What happened?" Severus asked.

"Miss Snape was dusting my shelves and apparently a couple of the locks on my private tomes hadn't been fastened properly," Rhett explained quietly. "I was momentarily distracted and wasn't watching as I should have been..."

"'Twas an accident, pure and simple," John interrupted. "He pulled her out the moment he realized what happened, Professor Snape."

"Carnegie did his fair share getting the books themselves under control before things got any worse," Rhett offered.

"Lucky for me he's here instead of rotting in some jail somewhere then, isn't it?" Severus said in such a tone that Rhett grimaced. Just then, Jennifer peered out.

"Oh, there you are, Severus. Come on in, she's quite all right; it was soon enough after happening that a potion did the trick," Jennifer assured them, smiling when both Rhett and John relaxed. "Maurice and Dale are here visiting as well, and you both should come in too, really. There's no point lurking in the hall."

"I quite agree," Severus said and stepped in, the other two wizards reluctantly following behind. From where he was sitting beside Lucky, Maurice looked up and gave the two men such an accusing look that they both decided to stay closer to the door. "Good evening, Doctor Sagittari. I see you had to come to the rescue again."

"Luckily she was brought in soon enough that it ended up being little trouble. It could have been much worse," Sagittari said unconcernedly.

"That wasn't luck, that was simply my faculty doing their jobs as always," Severus said evenly, ignoring the grimaces as he walked over to where Lucky was sitting up in bed. "So this is how you get out of studying for Transfiguration."

"It wasn't my idea to dust those books," Lucky protested.

"Perhaps you should have been paying more attention to what you were doing," Severus suggested.

"Yeah, I should have been," Lucky admitted. "But it's not easy to concentrate when there's a fight in the room." Lucky noticed Carnegie and Heron were grimacing again.

"Yes," Severus mused, glancing around. "Perhaps it's time now that we're all here at once that this matter was cleared up once and for all?"

"Do you want me to escort Maurice and Dale back first, Severus?" Jennifer offered.

"No need, they played a part in this as well," Severus said. Dale looked over at the younger boy questioningly, but Maurice nodded cordially. "Lucky, why don't you start off with what you know, if you're feeling up to it?"

"All right," Lucky said, glancing over at the two wizards then back at the Headmaster. "Professor Heron has spent the whole year trying to get something pinned on Carnegie, and has been using a Cape of Concealment to do it."

"Ah, so that's what that odd mist was," Carnegie said thoughtfully.

"You should know, considering you were the one who took it," Heron snapped.

"Nah, I took it," Lucky snorted, the two wizards staring at her. "When the Professor cornered me about why I was snooping around in Heron's office, he told me what to look for and sent me to check Heron's suite. I got the cape and turned it into him."

"You took it?" Heron repeated in disbelief.

"I just moved it," Lucky amended.

"Yes, I was hoping that when you noticed it was missing that you might have come to me to report it, actually," Severus said calmly.

"It wasn't mine to report," Heron said defensively.

"What do you mean it wasn't yours to report? You mean there were others involved?" Dale asked with a frown.

"He means this whole thing wasn't his idea," Maurice explained to Dale. "He was originally just coming here to teach, but the Canadian Flyers had other ideas." Rhett's jaw dropped.

"The what?" Lucky asked blankly.

"Flying Mounted Police... they're like Aurors," Maurice patiently explained to her.

"How in the devil's name did you find out about that?" Rhett said. Maurice shrugged.

"Well, when you took exception to my niece and she seemed to think that you might have had something to do with the accidents about the school, I took the precaution of having my father send for your criminal record. He said that he couldn't find out much, because the Flyers pulled the file due to the fact that Professor Heron was doing some sort of undercover work for them," Maurice said.

"I think he got busted for being an artifacts smuggler," Lucky said so confidently that Heron winced again. "That was pretty obvious to me after I saw what kind of books I had to dust today."

"Well, whatever the Flyers wanted him to do has something to do with Mr. Carnegie's past in some way," Maurice said, gazing at Heron fixedly. "Am I quite right, Professor Heron?"

"You seem to all have me at a disadvantage," Heron admitted slowly, giving Carnegie an apologetic look before turning to the Headmaster. "I noticed that you do not seem very surprised, Professor Snape."

"No, I began suspecting something like this was going on after that silly attempt to frame him for taking something that Carnegie never would have taken, valuable or not," Severus said evenly, and Heron grimaced again. "I suppose I should have suspected something after that fiasco at Halloween, when your snooping about attracted the attention of two overly curious students," he said, gazing at Lucky and Dale critically. "To which you ended up using a fear curse on them, I believe..."

"Professor, I assure you if I had any idea that either of them would have been harmed by that spell, I wouldn't have used it. I simply meant to send them to their rooms..."

"If I thought otherwise, you would not still be working here," Severus said curtly, and Heron cleared his throat. "So you were using the empty halls as an opportunity to search the castle for some reason, and in the process must have encountered the secret passages and made yourself acquainted with them."

"Um, well, yes, but you have to understand that the Flyers have me over a barrel. Ever since I got caught with... well, something that perhaps I shouldn't have been transporting, the Flyers arranged it so that I wouldn't be charged as long as I cooperated with them... first by naming my partners, and then acting as an advisor any time they found any unusual items and needed an expert. I was hoping when I got the job at Durmstrang they were finally done with me since they let me leave the country, but somehow a rumor mysteriously got spread among the wealthier parents that I had a questionable past. Despite that dreadful situation, Headmaster Archibald asked me to stay on, but I knew how much heat he would be put on him if I did so I thought I'd try my luck here instead. I had no idea that such a move would cause the Flyers to regain interest in me, but I also didn't know then you were in the habit of hiring former cat burglars as caretakers."

"And former smugglers as Defense teachers," Carnegie immediately parried.

"Fair enough," Heron said somberly.

"Would it be too much to ask exactly what it was that the Flyers were investigating me about?" Carnegie asked.

"Yes, I've been wondering that myself," Severus agreed.

"Very well, it isn't as if I have anything else to lose now, is there?" Heron said with a sigh. "The Flyers believe that Mr. Carnegie stole the North Star," he explained. Everyone else in the room looked confused.

"Polaris?" Jennifer asked curiously.

"I must be even more famously talented than I thought I was," Carnegie said, equally impressed.

"No, no, no... the star sapphire... the royal seal of Hyperion," Heron said.

"Hyperion?" Lucky asked.

"Polar Elves," Maurice murmured to Lucky.

"Queen Frostberry brought the sapphire pendant with her when she came for a diplomatic visit to the Canadian Ministry. But there were several alerts in the area at that point that Brumbleby's of New York had gotten one of their warehouses robbed, and several other burglaries had occurred that indicated to the Flyers that the Irish Cat was heading up to coast to try and escape into Canada," Heron explained. Lucky clamped her jaw down and looked over at Carnegie, who pursed his lips. "So, the Flyers offered to guard the pendant during the queen's visit. And even though a pair of Flyers guarded it at all times, it vanished, and the Flyers believe that the only person in the area capable of managing to get past them and steal the sapphire was you, sir."

"It's official. Me reputation has at last truly caught up with me," Carnegie decided, folding his arms in disbelief.

"Did you steal the sapphire, John?" Severus asked evenly.

"Not I. 'Twould have been too hard to get rid of. Funny that I don't remember such a thing hitting the papers while I was there. I used to keep a very keen eye on local news when I was on a roll," Carnegie mused.

"The Flyers had a hand in that," Heron explained somberly. "They didn't want it to get out that such a thing had escaped their watch, so they made up a phony to put in its place so that no one would know. In fact, other than the queen herself and those of us involved in the investigation, no one even knows it was stolen."

"How very convenient," John said, the others gazing at him questioningly. "Not that it's my place to say, I'm sure, but it seems to me that it has all the earmarks of an inside job. Not only because I didn't do it and, as you pointed out, not many could, but I am thinking that under normal circumstances that the last thing anyone would want to do is quiet something like this up. 'Tis much, much harder for a thief to sell something like this if the press has all the potential buyers on edge from all the media attention. Once it leaves the hands of the original thief, it'll pass through many hands in a very short time. And then not only is your chance of ever finding it again remote, but you've lost the best evidence you have in convicting anyone for the crime."

"Then if that's so, what am I going to do? They are never going to leave me alone unless this case is solved," Heron said with frustration.

"I suppose that all depends on whether you feel John is actually guilty or not, considering they apparently were expecting you to bring him in," Severus said calmly.

"I have searched this castle high and low, poked into a lot of things that weren't any of my business, and went through practically every obstacle that every nosy student could throw at me," Heron said, glancing over at Lucky, Dale and Maurice before shaking his head. "And I never found any evidence to prove that Carnegie was anything other than caretaker, who really does his best to take care of this building and everyone in it," he admitted. "And I rather think I'm ready to explain that to the Flyers, even if they do decide to call back that 'favor' of allowing me my freedom. I'm tired of trying to run from them, myself, and my past mistakes, and I'm terribly sorry I dragged you all into this."

"Apology accepted, provided that you mean what you say," Severus decided.

"No hard feelin's, Professor Heron," Carnegie said cheerfully. "And to prove it, perhaps you'll allow me to help you try and narrow down who it might have been if, theoretically of course, it had been an inside job," he offered with a wink. "Mayhap a bit of fresh perspective could help?"

"Perhaps it would," Heron agreed, and the two men shook hands while Jennifer smiled warmly at them and Severus nodded in approval.

"It is getting late, and you have tests to give out tomorrow, Professor Heron, Professor Craw," Severus reminded them. "Professor Craw, would you please make certain Mr. Craw and Mr. Chance get back to their rooms?"

"Absolutely," Jennifer said.

"Miss Snape is free to go as well," Sagittari decided.

"Very well, I'll walk her up myself," Severus said. "Thank you, doctor."

"Just doing my job, Professor Snape," Sagittari nodded solemnly.

"Yes, aren't we all?" Severus said, nodding back as the centaur followed everyone out.

Lucky waited until everyone else was going before finally swinging her feet out of bed, standing cautiously but feeling reassured when she didn't feel weak at all.

"I think this school needs to start a new subject," Lucky decided. "It'll be called Defense Against Defense Against the Dark Arts Professors."

"I wouldn't be so sure I'd pass such a course if I were you," Severus warned.

"Why not? I've already been surviving the crash course," Lucky said.

"Barely," Severus said expressionlessly, but Lucky didn't miss the hint of amusement in his lowered voice.

"So I guess you get to mark off another name from your list," Lucky ventured.

"One or two, yes," Severus agreed as they stepped out into the hall.

"And yet we're still no closer to finding out who murdered Sam, Paul and those people in the mine than we were before," Lucky said with such exasperation that Severus squinted at her.

"We?" he repeated dubiously.

"I just mean that for a while I really thought Heron was behind all that," Lucky said.

"Professor Heron," Severus corrected distantly.

"Whatever," Lucky said, ignoring her father's dirty look. "I mean, who can blame me? It's not my fault he was acting so suspicious, and at least now we know why. Besides, I've been watching him for a while now, and I'm pretty sure he can't walk through walls."

Severus came out of his daze and stared at her.

"Pardon?"

"The murderer in the mines must have been able to walk through walls. How else could they have gotten out?" Lucky shrugged. "Carnegie once told me that his father could walk through walls, so I know it's possible."

"Possible, yes, but feasible, no. There is only so much time that physical matter can become corporeal before snapping back into a material form, Fortuna. It's rather like creating and then refilling its own vacuum out of and back into our plane of existence. I myself considered the possibility when I went down to the mine, but the walls of the mine were much too thick."

"Really?" Lucky said thoughtfully, getting a short nod in return. "What about ghosts? They can go through thick walls, can't they?"

"Being that they are a manifestation, there is no material form to leave a vacancy it the material universe through their movement," Severus explained. "But they do have boundaries, whether that bond is to the place they died, an item, or their remains. But all the items were checked, the ghosts that exist in that mine are all tied to a particular room and cannot leave it, and everyone in that room all died at the same time. Well, except...." Severus stopped in his tracks halfway up the stairs. On the landing, Lucky looked back at his stunned face curiously. "Whatever's left, however improbable..." he murmured.

"What?" Lucky said. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you might me be onto something after all, but you are going to bed to get ready for your tests now, while I test a theory of my own," Severus said, gesturing towards the Fat Lady who cordially opened the door.

"Fine by me," Lucky shrugged. "I've had enough adventure for one school year."

"I know the feeling. Good night," Severus said briskly, shutting the door and turning his attention to the Fat Lady. "I'm going out to check up on something. Please let Jennifer know that I've gone to the Ministry."

"At this hour?" the Fat Lady said with surprise, but Severus turned and began walking away. "You might give me an answer. She'll say the same thing, you know," the painting continued, despite the fact that Severus was already halfway down the stairs. "Might I at least sing the message?" she shouted at last, and was quite satisfied when she didn't get an answer in reply.


	41. The Curse Revealed

_A/N Last two chapters (plus teasers) today. Hope you like it!_

Chapter Forty-One

The Curse Revealed

Severus spent most of the night with Harry and Alex digging through files in the Ministry, and then went straight to Slytherin House to consult with a student. After taking a detour to the Quidditch office, he finally made it up to his sitting room to find Jennifer had fallen asleep on his sitting room couch waiting for him. Gently he shook her awake, and Jennifer squinted at the early morning sunlight dazedly.

"We need to go take care of something. Don't worry, Danyelle is going to fill in for you and help Hermione with test setup. I need more backup in case I'm wrong... although I don't believe I am," Severus said, pushing back the first row of dresses in his closet in hopes of finding something that was his in there.

"Wrong about what?" Jennifer said tiredly, rubbing her eyes and sitting up. "Backup? Where are we going?"

"To Africa, to catch a murderer," Severus said as he grabbed some clothes and went towards the bathroom.

Suddenly feeling much more awake, Jennifer quickly pulled herself together and in what seemed no time at all found herself following Severus through the sun-baked streets of Cairo and outside the Department of Magical Antiquities where she was rather surprised to find Rinan Scur and Earham Singh waiting for them.

"Are you even allowed to be out of the country?" Jennifer asked Earham curiously.

"I had the Minister of Mysteries authorize it this morning," Severus said briskly as they walked in together.

"Yes, although I have yet to find out exactly why I'm here," Earham said.

"You're here in case I need backup," Severus said.

"I thought that's why I was here, Severus," Jennifer said with a frown.

"Correct. You are backup in case I am wrong, and he is backup in case I am right," Severus explained.

"I'm going to pretend that I understand this conversation and simply agree that it's a good idea to bring them," Rinan decided with a grunt. "What are we looking for again?"

"The cat mummy that was in the golden coffin you found in the mine," Severus said.

"Don't tell me that that was cursed as well?" Rinan said.

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Severus said. "And we need to find it before anyone else gets killed."

As they entered the office the secretary looked up, immediately scowling at Rinan.

"Oh no, not you again," Adel said.

"I'm here for legitimate reasons this time, Adel," Rinan said grimly. "You remember Professor Craw, of course... this is Doctor Singh, an archeologist friend of mine, and Professor Snape of Hogwarts."

"Oh! Are you here to see the councilor? I'll have to call him in," Adel said, getting up.

"Not necessarily, we're simply here to retrieve something that mistakenly got left here," Severus explained. "A mummified cat that came in an Egyptian sarcophagus that my father-in-law handed over."

"The cat?" Adel said, baffled. "But why would you want it? It wasn't authentic."

"Yes I know. The corpse dates back a hundred years or so, does it not?" Severus said, handing out a scroll. Jennifer stared fixedly at her husband, staying silent but growing as white as a sheet.

"So I was told," Adel said, accepting the paperwork and looking it over. "Well, I admit your request is reasonable and in order, but I also must admit that I am not certain where it is now. I will start looking into it."

"You don't know?" Rinan squinted.

"Why would I? It was not a real Egyptian piece. It was probably carted off," Adel.

"It's quite all right, I believe I know where it went," Severus said evenly. "I believe Councilor Moussa might have taken it just before he 'disappeared.'"

"I suppose it is possible, although I do not know why he would have," Adel admitted.

"Do you have an address?"

"Yes, although I do not know how much good that will do. No one has seen him in months, and his family all say he left quite hurriedly," Adel said, writing it down.

"Does anyone else live there now?" Severus asked, glancing at it.

"No, he lived alone. As far as I know, no one has been in there apart from the police going in to try and find clues to his whereabouts, and his family came in once to secure the residence and make certain everything was turned off. They are still reluctant to do anything in case he might come back, but I am truly starting to feel that he is not coming back," Adel admitted somberly.

"Yes, I'm beginning to feel you're right," Severus admitted, pocketing the address.

"I will continue to search here in case someone simply put it in storage somewhere," Adel said. "Good luck."

"See you later, Adel," Rinan said.

"Much later, I hope," Adel said under his breath, but Rinan simply grunted and followed the rest outside.

"So now what?" Rinan asked while the other three huddled around the map.

"I am fairly well acquainted with that part of town," Earham said. "It isn't as far as it seems from the map. Right this way," Earham said, leading them down a side street.

"What are you planning to do when we get there?" Rinan asked Severus in a low voice. "I understand that no one is going to be there, but I also understand that criminal penalties here are much harsher than they are back home."

"I have no intention of breaking in, Rinan," Severus said evenly. Rinan furrowed his brows.

"Then why the blazes are we going over there?" Rinan whispered.

"Jennifer and I brought a pair of our familiars, and I believe they can help us find out what happened to Moussa. To be perfectly honest, I don't think we can find him on our own," Severus said. "My daughter already tried, but it was quite evident to me from the places she end up that he's out in the desert somewhere..."

"What? We'll never find him if he's out there," Rinan said.

"Yes, well, fortunately I had a plan in mind in the event that something like this had happened," Severus said, but didn't offer any other details until at Earham finally stopped into a small dead end with modest but obviously magically disguised houses.

"This is the one, I believe," Earham said after checking the address twice.

Severus pulled out a whistle, blowing it silently and ignoring his wife's scowling look when he did so. Within a minute, there was a familiar cawing sound and he looked up to see Descartes perched one of the taller roofs, while Dodger spiraled down from beside him the bird and landed on Jennifer's shoulder.

"Dodger, I need you to find the post window and go into this house here and bring out some cloth... a shirt, or handkerchief or whatever else you think you can manage," Severus said. Dodger hooted curiously but must have understood at least some of it, for the Owl quickly flew up and out of sight from their vantage point. In the meantime, Severus put on a mesh glove and called Descartes down, taking out a heavy iron chain and putting it over his neck.

"What is that for?" Rinan asked curiously.

"A sort of communication device I worked out, and also emergency transportation if required," Severus said, showing them the metal disk attached to the necklace, painted with a picture of Francis Pyther. "I have another on me, and the painting will be able to tell us where Descartes is."

"Ah, I understand. Rather like the Muggle's uses of cameras for reconnaissance," Earham said with a nod. Severus gazed at him blankly.

"I don't see how a camera could help," Severus said, but then got distracted as Dodger came down with a handkerchief and Severus held it over Descartes nose. "There Descartes, can you smell that? Go find him. Not bad Moussa, just find him," Severus said, repeating it several times before removing the handkerchief. Descartes glanced at the house questioningly. "No, you silly bird, that way..." Severus said and turned around and swung his arm up towards the south. He winced in pain as the bird took off, and Jennifer shook his head at him.

"Forgot the renew the strength potion again, did you?" Jennifer teased.

"Never mind. Dodger, go put that back and then catch up with us. Come on, lets follow him as best we can," Severus said.

"If we're going for a long trek, I could use one of those potions as well," Rinan complained, finding a bottle in his face while Severus consulted the painted amulet in his hand and led them southwards. "Are you sure he's going to find him?"

"Stymphalians have highly sensitive smell, they use it as a homing device. He'll be able to find him; probably even faster if Moussa is dead," Severus said evenly.

"That is looking on the bright side of things, isn't it?" Rinan said cheerfully. Behind them, Earham and Jennifer both shook their heads.

Descartes quickly rose to an impressive height with ease and grace despite his heavy and gangly crane-like appearance. There were no clouds, but he kept high enough so they could only see a shadow of a bird from the ground, without and thought to what kind it might be. Even in the gentle wind, Descartes quickly found the scent he was looking for. Distance wasn't a problem for the bird; he had been bred for long treks and heavy campaigning in bloody wars thousands of years past. Of this, he knew nothing; he only knew the will of his master, tirelessly flying over the hot desert.

Despite his restlessness, Severus had, after several hours of walking, allowed Jennifer and Rinan to talk him into returning to the gold mine to await any word. He paced worriedly in the common recreation area, checking and double-checking what he brought with him in between staring at Francis in a way that made the portrait dreadfully nervous. The night fell and with it came some relief with the breezes, so much so that they ended up dozing restlessly in wicker chairs around the room.

Suddenly Severus felt something heavy on his lap and woke with a start to find Descartes sitting on him, staring at him. Descartes let out an excited noise at seeing Severus awake that woke everyone else up as well.

"What are you doing here?" Severus demanded, and then checked the medallion. "I take it he didn't find anything?"

"He did land for awhile, but it was quite dark, and he was nosing about at something. I don't think it's far from here; he found it less than an hour ago in the desert somewhere," Francis explained.

"Out in the Nubian Desert? What the blazes was he doing all the way out here?" Rinan asked as he painfully tried to stand.

"Attempting to bring that mummy back to its tomb, I'd imagine... and I grant you it wasn't his idea. He must have been walking in the desert for days..." Severus murmured, grabbing his cloak.

"Exactly what do you mean, it wasn't idea?" Rinan asked, reluctantly getting his own cloak.

"Possession," Severus said. "By a ghost."

"What?" Earham said in disgust. "Severus, there are no such things as ghosts. We've gone over this before while I was teaching at Hogwarts..."

"Yes I know, which is why I invited you," Severus explained, glancing up at the dawn before stepping out. "You specifically I'm putting in charge of watching over us. If you see us acting unusual or trying to attack each other and not the mummy, I expect you know the proper spell to knock us out for a few seconds. Jennifer, you're in charge of watching my back and countering whatever nasty curses she throws at us, and Rinan, you can help by throwing nasty curses at her to keep her occupied while I attempt to get rid of her before she kills anyone else."

"She? Who is she?" Rinan demanded as they started down the hill with a very excited Descartes leading the way.

"Her name was Felina Perrell, the late wife of Jackson Perrell, an animagus witch who went "missing" a few weeks before this doomed expedition. In actuality, she was murdered by her husband while she was in her animal form, and who hid her corpse in plain sight of everyone by dressing it like a mummy and placing it in a golden coffin. It is she who murdered her husband and his companions in that tomb, and she was the one who cursed Sam and Paul to their deaths for disturbing her peace. If I'm not mistaken, we're about to have our hands full," Severus warned.

"How I hate possession curses. I nearly got killed by one once," Jennifer confided to Earham softly as they walked.

"I can't believe I got roped into coming on a ghost hunting expedition. The next time someone offers me a special permit out of the country, remind me to decline," Earham said with irritation. Jennifer smiled at him sympathetically but then hurried to catch up with her husband who was doing everything he can to keep up with Descartes.

But several hundred yards away from the northernmost ridge of the mountains, Descartes finally alighted and began cawing out noisily.

"Stay back," Severus ordered, approaching with his wand out. He paused by a strangely shaped shadowy lump. "Dead, as I suspected," Severus said, and as the others focused in, they realized it was the shape of a corpse blasted with sun, sand and partially ripped into by local vermin, lying in a ball face down with his legs pulled in and his arm around something. "Cover me."

"I'm ready," Jennifer said, the other two getting out their wands as well although uncertain what to do other than to look wary.

Gently at first and then with more force, Severus nudged the corpse with his foot, rolling it over so all of them could clearly see the mummified cat still being cradled in poor Moussa's arms.

"Come out, Felina," Severus taunted, poised in a defensive stance. "Your quest for vengeance has long ended, and it's high time you moved out of this world now. You have turned into something that I don't think in life you would have ever wanted to become. Come out and allow me to put you to rest peacefully. We are not your enemies."

"Enemies!" came a hollow unfamiliar voice so strange that it took Severus a moment to realize it was coming from Jennifer. "What do you know of enemies?"

"A great deal, actually. I've had more than my fair share," Severus said, holding his other hand out to caution Earham to wait.

"You have never had to sleep with your enemy," Felina said bitterly. "You have never had to share your life or your bed with someone who wanted your dead."

"No," Severus admitted. "I think I would have walked away before things ever got that far."

"You naïve old fool! Do you think I had a choice?" Felina shouted at him, a strange black aura forming around Jennifer. "Take me back to Ilmar now, or I will kill you all!"

"Ilmar's spirit is long gone, Felina, as is Jackson and those other two men you killed," Severus said.

"I didn't kill Ilmar! I didn't want him to die at all! I don't want to die!" Felina boomed.

"I'm sorry, sincerely and truthfully, but you are dead, and you cannot be allowed to kill anyone else," Severus said.

"Take me back. Now!" Felina boomed, the dark aura increasing as she waved her wand. A flash of light hit her and she suddenly fell, the aura immediately leaving Jennifer as Earham finished his spell.

"Careful... guard your mind..." Severus warned, but then he noticed the dark aura already starting to grow around Rinan.

Rinan whisked around with his wand, but Severus was quicker, blasting the wand out of his hand and quickly grabbing a hold of it. Rinan suddenly leapt up with a lot more strength and agility than the elderly wizard was normally capable of, but before he could manage to get his hands around Severus' throat, another flash came from the side and he fell as well.

"A rather strong curse on that thing," Earham commented, so relaxed that it rather irritated Severus. "I say we simply incinerate it. That's what the normal procedure with dealing with cursed mummies is, is it not?"

"Nooo!" came the voice from all around them as the image of a small portly women suddenly manifested in air and charged Earham straight on, going right through him. But the dark aura that formed around Jennifer and Rinan slid right off Earham, who was simply standing there with his wand ready, looking at Severus questioningly and waiting for an answer. "What are you?" the voice demanded angrily, but it was obvious that Earham didn't even see her.

"Perhaps that is the best solution," Severus decided, pointing his wand at the mummy.

"Nooo!" Felina said again and leapt at Severus.

But Severus had been ready, and his darker years came to the forefront of his mind along with the occlumency skills that had protected him. The spirit had strengthened from over a hundred years of seething revenge, hatred and pain; very little of what had been was left now. That realization as she attacked his mind and soul released him from his awareness that the spirit's tortured existence had not been of the woman's own making; very little of that woman still existed within what had been left behind. She pressed hard to get into his mind, but he pushed back knowing perfectly well how devastating the situation would turn if she had access to his knowledge of ancient magic. But then he heard the whisper of a curse in his ear, and felt his physical strength begin to ebb away.

"_Bannisez!"_ Jennifer shouted and hit the dark mass hovering around Severus. She got shakily up from her knees in frustration, for it was obvious that the spell wasn't strong enough to do the job, even after Rinan managed to pull himself up to aid her.

But Severus understood what it took now; within an instant that seemed to last much longer he recalled Dumbledore's own actions when dealing with Mallus Craw's ghost and how esoteric it all seemed at the time, followed by his experience with Pyther... not quite dead, not quite alive...with but a pair of chords linking him to his frail life. His expression turned dark... as dark or perhaps darker than the masse attempting to invade his mind, knowing he would have to risk lowering his guard to act against it.

"Hold her! Put a holding spell on her!" Severus shouted, the strain evident in his voice. Jennifer quickly changed spells, the clash of the two spells throwing up sparks until Rinan finally caught up with her, attempting to pull her back towards the mummy as if she were attempting to bottle a misbehaving ghost. But the dark spirit was much stronger than a normal ghost because of the level of hatred and anguish within her. The two of them combined could barely pull the mist back, moving it mere inches and having trouble maintaining the spell.

"Incinerate it?" Earham suggested again.

"No! I have her now!" Severus shouted.

"You do not! You grow weaker by the second!" Felina laughed. "You will be the first to die!"

But Severus ignored her words, closing his eyes and concentrating on the bond between the spirit and the mummy.

"Get ready," he warned, but before Jennifer could figure out what exactly she should be getting ready for, he lowered all of his mental protections.

Sensing victory, Felina gleefully charged forward and Jennifer cried out in surprise as she was forced to strengthen her spell even further, shouting at Earham in words that Severus could no longer hear as he reached out and grasped her chord even as she charged into his mind.

Suddenly Severus felt himself physically thrown backwards and with it came a cry of surprise from the spirit that inhabited him. In that instant of uncertainty, he was able to cast a spell that cut the chord like a knife, quickly throwing up his reserves to try and push her out again. Sensing something had happened, Jennifer followed her gut instinct and changed spells once more, hoping her second wind would be enough.

_"Bannisez!"_ she cast again, and the dark mist began to twist as if getting sucked into an unseen vortex. With Rinan and Severus slowly recovering to back up the spell, the voice grew weaker and weaker and the darkness began to fade until finally she could no longer be seen or heard at all.

Jennifer felt the spell wane and pulled up her wand, dropping to the ground in mixed relief and exhaustion with Rinan doing the same nearby. It was only then that Severus realized that a very irritable wizard was standing in front of him, having charged between him and the spirit at his weakest moment.

"Thank you, Earham. That might have gotten quite messy without you being here," Severus said, trying to catch his breath. Earham furrowed his brows.

"What did I do? I was simply trying to keep these two from blasting you to kingdom come!" Earham said.

"Oh, is that what you saw," Severus said tiredly, shuffling over to Jennifer and sitting down beside her, rubbing her shoulder comfortingly.

"So are we going to incinerate the thing or not?" Earham asked impatiently.

"No need, Earham. It isn't cursed anymore," Severus said, reassuringly petting Descartes who had landed beside him. "Earham, why don't you pop back to the mine and get Silverman and some men down here to help us with Moussa. And let the miners know that the curse is officially over."

"I'm sure the miners will be very glad to hear that," Rinan mumbled from where he lay, threatening to fall asleep despite the hot rising sun.

"I know I am," Jennifer said, propping her head against Severus' arm.

* * *

It was a couple of days later before Severus finally invited Thomas to his office for tea, still sporting much more color in his face than normal but otherwise no worse for wear from the experience.

"Once I realized it was the mummified cat and not the paw that was behind all this trouble, it didn't take long for me to prove my guess as to who it was," Severus explained, refilling their cups and then sitting back in his chair. "I went straight to the Ministry to look at old registry of animagi, and the moment I saw her name and that her form was a cat, I was certain it was her. A classic motive behind her own murder, really, only the means by which she was killed was sinister... she had long had a falling out with her husband and was having an affair with Stonewall. So he waited until she was in her other form, bound her with some sort of powerful suspended animation spell and mummified her on the spot."

"Alive?" Thomas said.

"I believe so considering her form was maintained, although I doubt she stayed alive long...suffocated by the wrapping he had placed tightly around her animal form and stuffed into that box. No one would think twice about someone who led such expeditions as he had of having something like that on him, and she was neatly tucked away on his own person. No matter how hard they looked for her, she was nowhere to be found. Who knows what his long terms plans for her that mummy was, but my guess his intentions were exactly how things played out in that cave... with Stonewall accusing him of murdering her, to him eventually revealing what happened to her. He had planned to kill Stonewall right after, of course, as a final revenge, witnesses and all. What he hadn't counted on was that his wife's angry spirit was still linked to her corpse. When it became obvious in the duel that followed that her husband was getting the upper hand, shattering Stonewall's wand and ready to kill, the spirit intervened, tossing aside the wand aimed at her love's head and taking over his body, decimating the others with a vengeful curse leaving only Stonewall alive. But traumatized by the events and by the deaths that occurred because of his own part in the affair, Stonewall decided to allow the air to run out, using Perrell's wand only long enough to start a signal fire to explain to Felina's sister that she would not be coming home."

"Wait a moment. How do you know who it was he contacted?" Thomas interrupted.

"A different part of the story entirely, really, considering I only found the specifics yesterday. But it was because her daughter married a Bagman...Randolph Bagman, to be exact... Ludo's father. She wanted her sister to be remembered, and passed the story down as a tragic family legend. Ludo must have gotten curious about the legend and did some research on it when he was Minister of Mysteries to see how much of it was true... both about the mummified cat and the paw's power. As Jennifer suspected, the paw's wish magic was responsible for getting them into that mess, more than likely after wishing to find King Solomon's mines, or perhaps simply massive fortune. I'm afraid the other two gentlemen were there simply by accident, brought over by the two men after an Equinox meeting to witness the paw's powers and contemplate its usefulness. Unfortunately, in the process they used the last of the power with that wish, and it was in that lengthy time closed up together that the truth came out and further doomed them to their fate."

"Yes, yes, yes," Thomas waved it away. "What about that bit with Bagman?"

"When word spread to the papers about your discovery in the mines and the mummified paw, Bagman knew immediately what that paw was and what was in the golden sarcophagus noted among its belongings. The deaths made him wonder very much if the spirit was still active, and he knew that she would be quite dangerous. He was convinced then that she belonged in the proper hands of her own family and properly put to rest. So, when he heard that the items were brought to Hogwarts to be researched, he asked his grandson to try and sneak in and take a grab at the sarcophagus before it left her hands. The attempt was futile, of course, for the sarcophagus was never here to begin with, but it did lead to that rather unpleasant incident with him locking Jennifer up in the Potion Closet and knocking over a potion which he had no idea how to clean up..."

"What? I didn't know there was a Bagman in the school!" Thomas boomed.

"They changed their name to protect themselves from Ludo's past, Thomas," Severus said calmly. "He simply meant to buy himself a moment, he didn't mean to harm Jennifer. I've already spoken to him about it; that's how I found out the details..."

"A name, Severus?"

"He is a friend of your son's actually..."

"In that case, I demand to know. A father has the right to know who his child is hanging around with," Thomas said firmly.

"Fair enough," Severus sighed. "The student's name is Garvan Gamban, and other than that little incident at the beginning of the year, he has been a very..."

"Gamban? That pudgy little puppy always following Maurice and his Stoddard friends around?" Thomas said in surprise. "Oh, wait a minute... Bagman, Gamban, Gamban Bagman...it is his grandson!"

"And should not be held accountable for the sins of the grandfather. He is his own person, Thomas..."

"Yet his grandfather's influence is quite clear, isn't it?"

"That is my affair. Don't you dare ostracize that boy or his friendship with your son based solely on his family. Not only just on the basis of individuality and making his own decisions, but the fact that his parents changed their name to distance themselves and their child away from him ought to account for something as well," Severus argued.

"Fine, you have a point," Thomas grunted with obvious reluctance. "But what about all that business with the Bludger, and what happened to the stands?"

"That rogue Bludger wasn't even meant for Jennifer, Thomas. I realized after the fact that if a student had done it as we suspected, they would have had to sneak the Bludger in the night before or early the next morning. None of the students knew at that point that Jennifer was even going to be referee at that point. In actuality, the Bludger was meant to cause trouble for Danyelle, not Jennifer, and I suspect considering the heavy detentions he had been getting that it was actually Don Coventry behind it."

"That brat! I always knew he'd be in for trouble!" Thomas said, and Severus had a very difficult time keeping himself from nodding. "And what about those stands?"

"That was a real accident as far as I can tell. That old leftover transfigured plywood was never meant to have lasted as long as it did," Severus said. "Still, I think we were quite lucky that all of those things happened."

"What?" Thomas said, squinting at him.

"If none of those incidents happened, Thomas, I never would have gotten interested in this case of yours, the papers wouldn't have gotten interested, and Draco would have blown the entire thing off and given you no support whatsoever. No one would ever have realized that a ghost cursed Sam or Paul or Moussa, and sooner or later, someone would undoubtedly have found her out in the desert and started the whole thing over again.

"And if Nelson hadn't gotten greedy, Draco wouldn't have finally given us the carte blanche to officially investigate the accidents either," Thomas mused, "including the ones at the mine."

"Yes, in retrospect, it all seemed to work out quite well indeed," Severus decided, perusing through the biscuits.

"And you would do it all over again..." Thomas taunted him.

"Not for all the money in Gringott's Bank," Severus said curtly before offering him the tray.


	42. Counting One's Blessings

_A/N Second of TWO chapters today and last in the book, don't miss chapter forty-one!_

Forty-Two

Counting One's Blessings

Dale went over to Boulderdash's workbench with a silly grin on his face as the goblin stood on top of it and pinned a gold owl to his collar. The rest of the order broke out into claps and cheers.

"Well? Who else was it going to go to? It was surprising any more feathers could be mashed into that box after the avalanche he got this year," Boulderdash grunted, and the students chuckled as Dale returned to his seat beside Lucky. "I would also like to congratulate the entire order for the fact that Miss Snape somehow managed to get an E in Transfiguration on her OWLS..." everyone broke out into cheers again, while Lucky looked quite smug. "And of course, Ambrose, who only missed one question out of all his OWLS total."

"Wow, one? Only one? Which one did you miss?" Delia asked when the furor died down again.

"Oh, it was a history question about the Arthurian period," Ambrose admitted.

"What? But I thought you knew that era better than anyone, Ambrose!" Delia exclaimed, getting a few confirmations from either side of her.

"Yes, I know. That's the problem," Ambrose said sheepishly and everyone laughed at that.

"I have one other announcement, and that's concerning our guest tonight," Boulderdash said. Mike, who had been sitting quietly between Delia and Ambrose, looked up in surprise.

"First off, I suppose I should say on behalf of everyone here, thanks to all the help you gave the order both with the stands and helping organize and run events for the course of this year," everyone clapped warmly at that, smiling at Mike. "And second, I've had a few words with the Headmaster, and he has agreed the increase the number in the order to an even twenty, provided that we consider a particular candidate for entry. And considering he's already sitting at the table," he added with a spark in his beady eyes. "I doubt that's going to be a problem."

"All in favor?" Ambrose said, and hands went up all around. Only Beth on the far side of the table shrank bank so no one could see her around Veronica and Helena. "Welcome to the order, Mike!" Ambrose said cheerfully. Another round of applause went up around him.

"Welcome to the family," Delia added in a softer voice.

"I think I could use one about now," Mike agreed with a genuine smile, and earned encouraging claps on the back from both Ambrose and Delia in return.

* * *

"LINE UP!" Corey shouted up the stairs for the third time, and finally a thunderstorm of children appeared all in their Sunday best. Corey caught Destiny who was struggling to keep up with the others, tying the dragging ribbon into a bow to keep her from tripping on it.

"Where should I line up?" Llewellyn asked.

"You can stand here at the end beside Natalie for now, Leu," Corey said, "although I have a feeling when Mom gets here she'll want her fair share of fussing over you."

"Is she very fussy?" Leu asked nervously.

"Yes," Corey said.

"Why, Corey!" Rose exclaimed disapprovingly.

"Oh, but you're much fussier dear, of course," Corey teased playfully.

"Now, I expect all of you to be on your best behavior today, especially you, Corey," Rose chided him.

"Yes, mum," Corey said glibly back.

"Charles, let me see your new dress robes," Rose said, deciding ignoring him would be the safer option.

"Can't someone else be the ring bearer for a change?" Charles the Third complained.

"I have a feeling that Jay or Rus will be earning that title next time, assuming that we have anymore weddings anytime soon," Corey chuckled. "I seem to be running out of unmarried siblings."

"What about him?" Hope said, thumbing over towards Leu, who stared wide-eyed at her in return.

"I think Lucky's going to be next," Natalie confided to her.

"Don't you dare say anything like that when your grandfather shows up," Rose said as she straightened Amber's gown. She paused then, wondering if she heard a knock on the door. "That might be them now... don't you dare break the line up, young lady!" she warned Amber, pulling her back into line.

"I've got it," Corey grinned, unsurprised when he found arms around him the moment he opened the door.

"Corey! You look fabulous!" Jennifer said, hugging him excitedly. "Where's Leu? Did the robes fit?"

"They're all in there, Mom," Corey chuckled.

Jennifer hurried into the other room, greeting them warmly and commenting on the girl's dresses before she began to fuss over Leu's hair and robes down to every button and seam while he stood with a serious expression and his chin up, determined to live up to whatever it was she was going on about.

"And how has Llewellyn been?" Severus asked.

"Terrible. He's way too obedient," Corey said, Severus giving him a dirty look. "But don't worry, I've been trying my best to corrupt him."

"Thank you," Severus said sarcastically.

"So how's the other plan going?" Corey asked. Severus gazed at him questioningly. "You know, to catch up with my five," he winked. Severus glanced in the other room, noting that Jennifer was too busy to notice them, and finally shook his head.

"We've decided to put the idea to rest, Corey. The fact of the matter is the potions weren't working, whether my poison immunity somehow threw off the demon blood potion or if it was some other factor, I have no idea," Severus admitted.

"Are you sure you two weren't just trying too hard?" Corey whispered.

"Whatever the reason, Toby's advice on the bottle was to know when to let go, and Jennifer and I have decided to take that advice to heart, although I admit not without its pains, and not just on Jennifer's part," Severus admitted quietly. "I envy you, Corey, having the opportunity to raise your children in a house they'll never have to run away from, or their shoulders heavy from the blanket of fear that you and your siblings had to live with all your Hogwarts years. And I envy Thomas, for fighting for and earning the opportunity to have his second chance with Maurice, and in the process making his own peace with Jennifer's childhood as well."

"It was all the two of you, you know," Corey said, Severus glancing over at him questioningly. "My opportunity to raise a safe and happy family and Thomas' opportunity for a second chance at life... neither of those could have happened if it hadn't been for everything you've done. From providing a home for me and support for my sister, pulling me out of one mess and another, ending Voldemort's terror and helping Harry hunt down Death Eaters afterwards, taking out Lorcan only to have to turn around and spend years getting rid of Ciardoth. And all those little things that have added up... like the changes to the school that have come about over the years, whether by simple negotiations or by open defiance against the board, to make sure that every new generation has a better shot at a good future than last generation, no matter what they're background or where they came from. Not toe mention helping kids like Lucky and Leu, not only by providing a home but helping them to realize they don't have to be trapped by their past and can still have those same opportunities that you've worked so hard to provide. And no, I know that is not the same as actually being able to reap those rewards for yourself and Mom, but that doesn't mean your efforts aren't paying off in spades elsewhere. And we're all quite grateful, actually... more grateful than you can probably imagine, and some of us, not naming any names, are more grateful than we realize that we are," he added. He gazed lovingly at his children and his wife, who had her hands on her hips and was looking at him with open exasperation.

"Corey! What are you two doing lurking about in the hall? We do have a wedding to go to, or have you forgotten? I'm not going to get this army all the way to the Grove without them tripping over their dresses all the way without your help," Rose scolded him.

"That's what you think," Corey said as they stepped into the room. "Heels up!" he ordered, and the five Willowby children obediently stood on their toes for a moment and then carefully lifted up their toes even with their heels so that they were all floating several inches off the floor. Rose's jaw dropped, while Jennifer had to put her hands over her mouth to keep from laughing outright. "Nobody in _my_ family is catching any bouquets today," Corey declared. "Hands!"

Taking Natalie's hand, Corey walked towards the door with a train of laughing kids coasting behind him above the ground. Rose had to quickly jump on the end to steady the youngest two as they left, the troupe looking more like a carnival ride than a procession.

"Those Willowby children can be rather noisy, can't they?" Llewellyn said solemnly.

"They're just happy, that's all," Jennifer grinned at him.

"Giddy," Severus agreed expressionlessly. Jennifer chuckled at him and put an arm around Leu as the three of them followed behind.

"Well! If it isn't Severus Snape," Rolanda said from where she and Alvin Archibald were standing at the edge of the Grove. "Damn man, don't you ever change?"

"You certainly don't," Severus retorted, taking her hand and then Alvin's while Jennifer demanded a hug from both.

"It's so good to see both of you! Where's your daughter?" Jennifer asked Rolanda.

"Oh, Trish is helping Ginger and the girls, but I think I'd be more worried about Aurelius is if I were you. He looks like he's attending a funeral. So does Andrew, but that I expected," Rolanda added in a lower tone. Alvin gave his wife a disapproving look. "My daughter keeps going on about she's _so_ glad Ginger picked the sensible one. Personally, other than his good looks, I don't understand what she sees in him. He's too much like his father."

"Thank you," Severus said dryly.

"And who is this with you?" Alvin asked, giving the boy a thin but pleasant smile.

"This is Llewellyn Murphy, the newest addition to the Snape family," Severus said evenly, Leu nodding politely in response.

"Oh no! Don't tell me she did it to you again!" Rolanda said with a short laugh.

"It wasn't me this time. It was Severus," Jennifer said with a smile.

"Really?" Rolanda said, obviously quite impressed.

"Leu, this is Headmaster Archibald from Durmstrang and his wife, Rolanda. They're Ginger's grandparents and old friends of ours."

"Would you stop putting old in there, Jennifer?" Rolanda scolded.

"As if the word 'grandparents' is any better," Alvin said with amusement.

"Who isn't these days?" Rolanda said with amusement. "So where's the other one, Jennifer?"

"Oh, she's here somewhere. She went on ahead when we went to fetch Leu. I probably ought to go find her, come to think of it," Jennifer said. "We're having a party in Corey's yard after the wedding, a sort of welcome to the family sort of party if you want to come."

"Sure, why not?" Rolanda agreed as they all began to walk through the Grove together. They soon ran a large crowd standing around or sitting in chairs set up near the heart of Keki's Grove, while the curious trees stretched over them to watch; the Grove was no stranger to weddings.

Aurelius was having second thoughts of picking that location, wondering if he even had the right to be there at all. Corey had made his way to his side, and along with Harry, Stock and Heph did their best to break Aurelius out of his automaton demeanor. Jennifer smiled reassuringly at him as they walked out. He had little to worry about, her thoughts reasoned, knowing he would pick up on it. The Grove would have behaved differently had it not approved. Aurelius sighed silently to himself and turned his attention back to Corey.

Lindsay and Lucky, deciding that the reserved front seating was way too conspicuous, chose to sit in the row right behind the family seats instead, while the Willowby children, all getting stuck participating in the procession, all staked their claims on the front row seats and kept changing and switching so often that Rose had to settle it herself. Alex, Ben and the boys bravely took the far side of the row, so Jennifer and Severus settled Leu in the second row just in front of Lindsay and Lucky.

"I don't suppose you're going to sit up here with us?" Severus asked Lucky.

"I can see fine from here," Lucky assured him. He was about to explain that wasn't what he meant when Jennifer put a hand on his shoulder.

"Severus, look," Jennifer said softly. Severus followed her gaze where standing at the very back stood Andrew. He was leaning on one of the back chairs with whitened knuckles with an expression so steely grey that it sent a chill down Jennifer's back. "He's so cold... it reminds me of the haunted expression you sometimes got on your face when we first met," she murmured.

"And for one of the same reasons," Severus murmured in return. "I'll be back."

"Are you going to try to talk to him?" Jennifer asked.

"It won't be anything he wants to hear," Severus said quietly back, and Jennifer slowly sat down next to Leu while Severus wandered over to where Andrew was standing.

"I see you've arrived," Severus said in a low voice.

"Well else would I be? I have a brother getting married, don't I?" Andrew snapped.

"And yet you're back here, away from him and the rest of your family," Severus observed.

"I don't deserve to be up there, nor do I want to be," Andrew said icily, then shook his head. "It's over, you know. I incinerated all my address and appointment books and changed the lock on my doors. I even closed out my post box and returned anything that wasn't family or school related and cancelled all my periodicals except for intellectual magazines. I'm done with women, totally and completely. They're not worth the trouble, and I have better things to do with my life then spend it all on trivial companions that never truly cared about anything I did unless it was to them or for them. My teaching is all that matters now... that's why I never wanted to get into a serious relationship in the first place."

"Is it?" Severus asked calmly.

"Yes, and it's time I stopped fooling around with these petty pursuits when I should be concentrating on it," Andrew concluded.

"I see," Severus said.

"You don't believe me, do you? I mean it this time, you know," Andrew said.

"Oh, I believe you are sincere, Andrew, the problem is with that is you are simply too late," Severus said evenly. "I once warned you that if you weren't careful there would come a time when you would find yourself regretting your choices, knowing that your path could have been quite different had you acted other than you did. I even warned you that if you did not take heed that some day you would come to face to face with a student that could have been yours had you chosen a different path. Now it is only a matter of time before that comes to pass, only in an added irony, that student will be a niece or nephew of yours. Somehow you are going to have to learn to deal with that, Andrew, and I don't envy you," he admitted.

Severus stepped away, unsurprised to see Andrew brooding even deeper than before, but knowing very well there was nothing he could do to help him through it. He heard his named called, and glad for the distraction, stepped over to where Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron stood in the aisle.

"Just why is it that every time I go anywhere and see the four of you standing together that I feel like I'm walking into the middle of a conspiracy?" Severus asked.

"Because you usually are," Ron said with a grin.

"It's a good sort of conspiracy, Severus, at least I hope so," Harry said, unfazed by the dubious look he got in return. "Hermione was telling us that your current Defense teacher isn't planning to stay on another year?"

"No, he isn't," Severus said with a shrug. "I believe Professor Heron is finally tired of running from his past and is going home to try and get a job at his alma mater at both my own and Archibald's recommendation. I think he's finally realized that he can't run from himself," he said, glancing up at Hermione.

"He was never a bad teacher," Hermione put in. "But I think getting rid of all that baggage of his will help him be a better one."

"Yes, that's why I supported the decision," Severus nodded. "Even if that means having another Defense teacher to fill next year."

"That is what we wanted to talk to you about," Harry interrupted. "Or really, what I wanted to talk to you about." Severus squinted at him. "Look, Severus, you know the Auror department is in a bad way right now. Very few people who want to be an Auror actually make it all the way through training, and the problem with that is that lately there have been years when so few students even came out of there with the requirements needed to start training that... well, most years we don't have any new people coming in at all. The majority of Aurors left are older than me by a generation and many of them are ready to retire, and to be honest it'd be a lot safer if they did retire. But they know I'm strapped and they won't do that until the department looks like it can fend for itself."

"Are you trying to tell me you want me to put some sort of recruitment spin in my Defense class?" Severus said with a grimace of pure distaste at the idea.

"I'd rather do my own spinning, if it's all the same to you," Harry said evenly. "What I'm asking is how would you feel if I came in and taught Defense for a year."

Severus looked over at Hermione then back at Harry again.

"And just what about the Auror department?" Severus asked.

"Aurelius had that job long before I did, Severus. He's willing to take over for the duration, and it's probably a blessing in disguise for him since he'll be making some extra money he can put into setting up a household. As for Draco, I just talked to him a minute ago," Harry said, thumbing over to the large Ministry section where Draco was sitting with his granddaughter in his lap. "He said he's in favor of anything that can get me out of his hair for ten months, especially when the public would approve of the method."

"Fine. But I want you there a few days earlier so we can go over your agenda line by line... and discuss etiquette for married faculty members," he added for good measure, glancing seriously between Harry and Ginny. Ginny smiled innocently. "And no fan clubs."

"I'll keep that in mind," Harry said dryly, while Severus took a moment to pay his respects to the Minister.

But after he had a word with Draco, he felt a sharp poke in the arm and looked around to see Alicia standing beside him looking quite irate.

"My mother is a baby thief!" Alicia declared with a scowl.

"Perhaps if you didn't hoard them so, she wouldn't feel the need to!" Severus retorted unsympathetically.

"Yes, she would!" Alicia said, and then heard Francis calling her and stomped away.

"My goodness, Severus, your children grow more like you by the day," said the unmistakable voice of Toby the Tinker from right behind him. "Especially that one," he added, pointing towards where Andrew stood by himself like a statue despite Halbert's valiant attempts to cheer him up.

"He will get over it... someday," Severus said evenly.

"Yes, I believe he will," Toby said thoughtfully. "He's changed too over the last year, and change is never easy, as necessary as it is for life to progress."

"You need not tell me what I already know," Severus said. "We wouldn't be here in this Grove right now if that weren't so, as painful as this year as been."

"How very true," Toby said.

"Do you suppose Aurelius is rushing this?" Severus murmured, a little reluctant to voice the concern. But Toby simply smiled.

"No, I think not," Toby said. "The boy has held himself back to preserve his youth as long as possible, but it was so long in coming that now he's simply playing catch up. But I think within a year or two of married life will settle all that out...with its normal share of ups and downs, of course. They'll be quite all right, Severus... well, as long as the universe doesn't split apart at the seams or anything." Severus blinked in surprise, gazing questioningly at Toby and his sudden change of tone only to notice that his facial features and eyes had a more Merlin look than usual.

"Was that a random flippant remark, or was that meant as something more foreboding?" Severus asked.

"Well, actually, there was a bit of a point to it," Toby admitted vaguely. "It's about that matter I brought up when I came to see you last year...the one I need your help with. I don't suppose you'll have time this summer to help me with something?"

"Jennifer and I are taking Llewellyn boating off the coast of Florida so we can all get to know one another better," Severus explained.

"Ah, probably a good idea. How long will you be gone?"

"A week or two," Severus said.

"Any chance you can come back for the Solstice order meeting?" Toby asked. Severus thought it over.

"I suppose I can key home for an evening if we stay the full two weeks, if it's important," Severus decided.

"It is. And you will help me?" Toby asked.

"If it's feasible," Severus said noncommittally.

"Splendid! Then I'll leave you alone until then, you could use a bit of a rest after last year."

"More than a bit, in my mind," Severus said.

"Oh... well, we'll see," Toby said. "I suppose I had better head up front now, before the groom gets cold feet," he winked. Severus frowned thoughtfully, and found his way over to his seat.

"Feet off the chairs," Severus said as he sat down, and Lindsay and Lucky quickly put tucked their feet back. Beside him, Llewellyn slipped his feet back as well, hoping that he hadn't noticed.

"Is something wrong, Severus?" Jennifer asked from where she sat gently bouncing Dawn on her lap.

"I made the mistake of talking to Toby for a moment, and now all the sudden I feel as if I've been tricked into doing something I'm not particularly going to like," Severus said.

"Oh? Like what?" Jennifer asked.

"I have no idea," Severus admitted, "and I'm not sure I want to know."

"Excuse me!" Jennifer began pouting in a way of protest when Alicia came to steal her daughter back, but Alicia took the baby anyway. "Get your own!" she harrumphed and stomped back to her seat, and Jennifer's fake pout suddenly took a haunted look that Alicia missed completely.

"That was her way of telling us she changed her mind about not approving," Severus said softly.

"A lot of good that does now," Jennifer said in complete resignation, then saw her husband's expression. "It's all right, Severus," she said in a gentler, more reassuring tone. "We have a new son," Jennifer said, Leu smiling uncertainly at the arm around him. "In a few short minutes we'll have a new daughter, and no matter what happens in our lives, I don't ever think you and I will ever have a quiet house to come home to."

Severus stared at her.

"I can't make up my mind on whether that's a good thing or not," Severus said flatly, and then realized that everyone was taking their places and had to pay attention as a line of Willowby girls from youngest to oldest were being pulled out of the aisle by their waiting mother.

Aurelius attempted to exhale silently to calm his nerves, but in the end everyone heard it as he offered his arm to Ginger, who gave him a flirtatious smile. Immediately he seemed to freeze, mesmerized by whatever it was he was reading from her eyes, and was in fact doing it so much that Toby had to stop several times during the ceremony to remind him where he was.

But as they were exchanging rings there was a noise that sounded to Jennifer like a soft nicker, and noticed Aurelius look up suddenly alert. And although most of the guest were not even aware just what had startled him, he clearly sensed the movement of four curious Unicorns passing close enough to the trees that their rustling leaves seemed to acknowledge their presence.

"I see there are no objections," Toby said with some certainty with a subtle glance behind his shoulder as well as out towards the audience where Andrew was standing with a hardened expression. He turned back to Aurelius and Ginger, putting his hands over theirs. "In that case, by the power invested in me by God, the Ministry, and these two people for talking me into doing this in the first place, I now pronounce you wizard and biscuit...er, I mean wife, of course," he quickly corrected, but the dirty look Ginger gave him melted away as Aurelius kissed her.

As the crowd broke out into applause, Ginger felt herself getting carried away with the moment and tossed her bouquet over her shoulder just to get it out of her way. Surprised exclamations rang out and Severus found himself ducking reactively to the object coming towards him, only to realize belatedly that by doing so it landed in the row right behind him and into Lucky's lap. Lucky's jaw dropped, matching her father's own horrified expression.

"That doesn't count! She didn't say the spell yet!" Lindsay protested irritably.

"You know, Lindsay does have a point. That might have been just chance," Jennifer said quickly.

"Everything that happens to Lucky is by Chance, that is the entire problem," Severus retorted, and Jennifer smiled sympathetically at him, while Lucky was quickly realizing from the looks and grins she was getting from everyone else that it wasn't going to be thrown again.

Fortunately for her, once they got to Corey's and settled in for a family gathering the focus turned to Leu, who didn't want to be the center of attention any more than she did. In fact, he was so quiet and uncomfortable with the crowd that Lucky finally began feeling a bit sorry to him and went over to sit beside him.

"It'll be okay, Leu. I was kinda overwhelmed when I found out how many people I was going to be related to when I got adopted in this nuthouse too," Lucky said.

"Nuthouse?" Jennifer said indignantly.

"I think Lucky has a point," Sirius chuckled.

"Are you really lucky?" Leu asked seriously.

"Yeah, I think so," Lucky said after thinking about it a moment. "It's been a rough year, but all in all I think my luck's gotten even better since I've been a Snape."

"I hope mine gets better too," Leu said wistfully.

"It's getting better already if you ask me. Look at it this way, Leu. You're lucky number seven!" Lucky said cheerfully, patting his back.

Suddenly a loud deep moan sounded from behind them and they looked around to see Severus standing a few feet away clutching his drink with a look of pain on his pallid face.

"Dear God, we caught up with the Weasleys!" Severus exclaimed in horror. Jennifer broke out into a hearty chuckle as if lost in a memory.

"Does that mean you don't want me in your family after all?" Leu asked with a concerned expression on his face. Severus clamped his jaw shut in attempt to contain the grimace developing.

"Or me?" Lucky challenged him.

"Or what about us?" Alex added.

"It's far too late to turn us in," Alicia chuckled.

"If it's too late for you guys, it's definitely too late for me," Corey added.

"If this kid goes, I go. Somebody's gotta look after him," Lucky declared. "And I've had some experience looking after kids his age, you know."

"You have school, not to mention a rather intensive summer of studying for college," Severus reminded her. "Besides, no one is going anywhere, dreaded number or no dreaded number; not Llewellyn nor anyone else in this family. It's time we counted our blessings instead of our curses for a change."

"I definitely agree with you there, Severus," Jennifer chimed in. "And no one can deny we have plenty of blessings to count," she added mischievously.

"Yes, aren't we lucky," Severus said dryly.

His older children mercilessly taunted him, making a play at trying to count every family member. So Severus quickly grabbed up the family storybook as a diversion, knowing they would all settle down as they waited for him to begin reading the next story.

The End

_A/N And thanks for reading, and I hope you liked this book! Taking on Murphy's Law was a bear and a cub, but hopefully you liked the theme all the same. So anyhow, here's the deal. I have two books planned, finishing out Lucky's last two years, and then I plan to take a break and give my original fiction some special TLC for while. I do have some plans for Leu, so I probably won't leave it forever, nor will it be two and a half years like last time, but I'd say six months to a year is probably accurate, long enough to get a couple of the stories I've been working on circulating into the dreaded 'thanks but no thanks' cycle. But stay tuned, because I really don't think you're going to be disappointed in the last two books. For teasers on BOTH books, see below. Thanks again, reviews always welcome, and thanks for the thoughtful reviews for this book, it was a challenging book to write! Stay tuned for Jennifer Craw and the Winds of the Otherworld in 2-4 weeks from now. Hope to see you then! JCWriter_

* * *

TEASERS! SPOILERS!

* * *

When Severus is forced to travel to the Otherworld to preserve the balance between the universes, he goes out of his way to take every precaution. He considers every possible outcome, every possible snag, and every possible danger and setback. With his uncanny talents of plans and backup plans, he thought he had everything covered. But there was one thing he hadn't planned on; he hadn't planned on getting stuck.

Jennifer Craw and the Winds of the Otherworld

* * *

Four Wizards. Four backgrounds. Four motives. Four goals.

Combined they are relentless, determined to help each other reach those goals,

No matter what it takes. No matter who stands in their way, and perhaps because of who stands in their way.

The shadows of darkness loom over Hogwarts as the Snape family come face to face with just how dangerous

the Synchronius cantrip can be....

Jennifer Craw and the Coming of the Four Horsemen

* * *


End file.
